っぽい (ppoi)
～っぽい — ～-ish / tends to be ～
Pattern
-
名詞＋っぽいhas the feel of the noun (油っぽい、子どもっぽい) -
動詞ます形（語幹）＋っぽいtends to do (忘れっぽい、怒りっぽい)
Two uses
After a noun it means “close to ～ in feel” (油っぽい, 子どもっぽい, 灰色っぽい). After a verb stem it means “tends to ～” (忘れっぽい, 飽きっぽい, 怒りっぽい). Both conjugate like i-adjectives (忘れっぽくなった).
Nuance and cautions
It often carries a slightly negative impression. 子どもっぽい is a criticism: childish for an adult. With colors it can be neutral (白っぽい服). For praise use らしい instead: 〜らしい means “typical of / worthy of ～” in a good sense, unlike っぽい.
Examples
-
この料理（りょうり）は少（すこ）し油（あぶら）っぽい。
Kono ryōri wa sukoshi aburappoi.
This dish is a bit oily.
Noun + っぽい: feels oily.
-
最近（さいきん）の父（ちち）は、少（すこ）し忘（わす）れっぽくなった。
Saikin no chichi wa, sukoshi wasureppoku natta.
Lately my father has become a bit forgetful.
Verb stem + っぽい: tends to forget.
-
空（そら）が灰色（はいいろ）っぽくなって、雨（あめ）が近（ちか）い。
Sora ga haiirobboku natte, ame ga chikai.
The sky has turned grayish; rain is coming soon.
With a color, it is neutral: “grayish.”
Common mistakes
- It is hard to use as praise. 男らしい and 男っぽい mean different things.
- Attach it directly to the noun or stem. “忘れるっぽい” is wrong.
More grammar points
- 上（あ）げる ～上げる — to finish ～ completely
- 合（あ）う ～合う — do ～ to each other; to fit, to suit
- だらけ ～だらけ — covered in ～, full of ～ (something bad)
- がち ～がち — tends to ～ (usually undesirable)
- がたい ～がたい — hard to ～
- 気味（ぎみ） ～気味 — a touch of ～
- かける ～かける — half-done, in the middle of ～
- 切（き）れない ～切れない — cannot finish, cannot fully ～
- 切（き）る ～切る — do ～ completely, to the end
- 込（こ）む ～込む — into, crowded, deeply ～
- 向（む）け ～向け — intended for ～, aimed at ～
- 向（む）き ～向き — suited to ～, facing ～
- 直（なお）す ～直す — do ～ over again
- っぱなし ～っぱなし — leaving ～ as it is
- たて ～たて — “freshly ～ed / just done”
- 的（てき） ～的 — “-like / -al” (makes an adjective)
- 通（とお）す ～通す — “do ～ all the way through”
- あまり あまりの～に — so ～ that ～
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