Still confused with らしい

The7thSamurai · 18 Nov 2006

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 · 18 Nov 2006

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 · 18 Nov 2006

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

yukio_michael · 18 Nov 2006

Nall-ohki said:
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 · 18 Nov 2006

Nall-ohki said:
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 · 18 Nov 2006

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

epigene · 18 Nov 2006

Damicci said:
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 · 18 Nov 2006

Damicci said:
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 · 18 Nov 2006

Mike Cash said:
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 · 19 Nov 2006

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

Still confused with らしい

The7thSamurai

Master of the Universe

epigene

相変わらず不束者です

Nall-ohki

先輩

yukio_michael

後輩

epigene

相変わらず不束者です

Damicci

先輩

epigene

相変わらず不束者です

Mike Cash

骨も命も皆此の土地に埋めよう

Damicci

先輩

The7thSamurai

Master of the Universe

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