Somewhat / -ish 〜っぽい

Meaning

Says something has the quality of ~ — "-ish", "looks like ~", "tends to ~".

Formation

[noun] + っぽい · [verb ます-stem] + っぽい · [い-adj stem] + っぽい

Notes

The result behaves as an i-adjective: 子供っぽかった. With a noun it means "like a ~" and is usually mildly critical: 子供っぽい ("childish", not "childlike"). With a verb stem it means a tendency: 忘れっぽい ("forgetful"). Casual — らしい is the neutral written choice.

Examples

彼（かれ）の言い方（いいかた）は子供（こども）っぽいです。

The way he talks is childish.

Breakdown

いいかた言い方 way of speaking こどもっぽい子供っぽい childish

最近（さいきん）、忘（わす）れっぽくなりました。

I have become forgetful lately.

Breakdown

さいきん最近 recently わすれっぽく忘れっぽく forgetful なりました became

この服（ふく）は白（しろ）っぽい色（いろ）ですね。

This garment is a whitish colour.

Breakdown

このふくこの服 this garment しろっぽい白っぽい whitish いろ色 colour

彼（かれ）は怒（おこ）りっぽい性格（せいかく）です。

He has a quick temper.

Breakdown

おこりっぽい怒りっぽい quick to anger せいかく性格 personality

この牛乳（ぎゅうにゅう）、水（みず）っぽくないですか。

Doesn't this milk taste watery?

Breakdown

ぎゅうにゅう牛乳 milk みずっぽくない水っぽくない not watery

⚠️ Often confused with

〜がち

Tends to (badly) 〜がち

"Tends to ~", "is apt to ~" — nearly always about something unwanted.

〜気味

A touch of 〜気味

"A touch of ~", "slightly ~" — a mild sign of a condition, usually an unwelcome one.

〜かのように

As if 〜かのように

"As if ~" — a comparison to something that is not the case.