Still confused with らしい

[The7thSamurai]

Could someone please explain the use of らしい in the following sentence:

学生らしくもっと勉強しなさい。

As far as I know, らしい is used when giving your opinion or guess about something based on evidence that you've seen or heard, but I can't put my finger on this one...??

 

[epigene]

Hi Bucko!

Yes, you have "one" definition of らしい right. You use that when you're making a guess:
あの人は、ケーキが嫌いらしい。

The example you gave is another use of らしい to describe behavior combined with comparison.
学生らしくもっと勉強しなさい。
Behave like a student and study hard.
もっと女らしくなりたい。
I want/wish to become more womanly (literal translation, act more like a woman).

In the following case, the sentence can be interpreted in two ways. You decide which definition is right from context:
あなたは、サラリーマンらしいね。
You behave/act like a salaryman.
I guess you're a salaryman.

HTH!

 

[Nall-ohki]

Bucko still has trouble using and understanding らしい... らしい

 

[yukio_michael]

Bucko still has trouble using and understanding らしい... らしい

If that's a joke, it's not a very good one.

 

[epigene]

Bucko still has trouble using and understanding らしい... らしい

お見事！！

Edit: ちょっと反対意見が先でした！

 

[Damicci]

I would look at the sentence as "You seem to be a student so study more!"

 

[epigene]

I would look at the sentence as "You seem to be a student so study more!"

In a way, yes.

学生らしく（もっと勉強を）しなさい assumes that the person is already a student and is not behaving like one. So, the suggestion is to behave like a student and study hard.

 

[Mike Cash]

I would look at the sentence as "You seem to be a student so study more!"

More along the lines of what we would express in English as, "You're a ______, so start acting like one, damn it!"

My all time favorite use of らしい was when one of my bosses, a man of prodigious baldness, scolded me for growing my hair long despite a rapidly receding hairline. He said 禿は禿らしく！

 

[Damicci]

More along the lines of what we would express in English as, "You're a ______, so start acting like one, damn it!"
My all time favorite use of らしい was when one of my bosses, a man of prodigious baldness, scolded me for growing my hair long despite a rapidly receding hairline. He said 禿は禿らしく！

Hahaha, nice!

Thanks Mike and Epigene for the tips. I also have a better understanding of らしい now!

 

[The7thSamurai]

Thanks for the help everyone. I had no idea there was a "second" meaning to it. Thanks.