Grammar Info

N4 Lesson 4: 9/18

毎(まい)～の様(よう)にAlmost every ~, Nearly every ~, On a ~ basis

Structure

毎(まい) + Time Expression + のように

Details

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About まい～のように

In a similar way to のように, まい～のように states that something is happening 'in the manner/way of (A)'. まい means 'every' (coming from the kanji 毎(まい)), and will always be followed by (A). (A) being a word that expresses some kind of measurement (usually time).

まい～のように is often translated as 'almost every (A)', 'nearly every (A)', or 'on an (A) basis'.

Because よう (from the kanji 様(よう)) usually expresses the 'manner' in which something is existing/happening, this phrase literally highlights that something occurs 'in the manner of every (A)', and is therefore up to the interpretation of the listener as to whether the speaker means 'every', or 'almost every'.

Caution

Although みたいに and のように are regularly interchangeable, that is not the case with まい～のように. This is because みたいだ is originally an abbreviation of the more formal phrase を見たような, and therefore can sound unnatural when used to describe things that cannot be seen, like time.

Related

Examples

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    ともきさんは仕事(しごと)前(まえ)に毎日(まいにち)のように釣(つ)りに行(い)った。

    Tomoki-san went fishing almost every day before work.

    仕事(しごと)を終(お)わったときは毎晩(まいばん)のようにジムに行(い)く。

    I go to the gym nearly every night when I finish work.

    彼女(かのじょ)は彼(かれ)に出会(であ)う前(まえ)は、毎日(まいにち)のように高校(こうこう)をサボっていた。

    Before she met him, she used to skip school almost every day.

    彼(かれ)はその後(あと)、故郷(ふるさと)に 毎月(まいつき)のように帰(かえ)った。

    After that, he returned to his hometown almost every month.

    日本(にほん)では 毎年(まいとし)のように少(すく)なくとも１(いっ)回(かい)は地震(じしん)が起(お)こる。

    There is at least 1 earthquake in Japan nearly every year.

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まい～のように – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (7 in total)

  • nekoyama

    nekoyama

    ほぼ is an adverb that means “almost”.

    I don’t think there’s a grammar point for it but there is a vocabulary item.

  • MikkaT

    MikkaT

    ah Thank you.
    By the way I always wanted to ask. Where does your name come from?
    From the manga or something else?

  • nekoyama

    nekoyama

    I like cats and mountains

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