it seems that, it appears that

ようだ states a judgment based on the speaker's own observation or evidence. It follows plain forms, with な after na-adjectives and の after nouns. It is more formal than みたい and softer than a direct statement.

Examples

• 誰だれもいないようです。

  Dare mo inai you desu.

  It seems that nobody is here.

• 風邪かぜをひいたようです。

  Kaze o hiita you desu.

  It seems I have caught a cold.

Vocabulary in these examples

• 誰 who
• いる to exist (animate); to be
• 風邪 a cold

Related patterns · Appearance, hearsay, and conjecture

• 〜そうだ（様態） looks like, seems about to
• 〜そうだ（伝聞） I heard that, they say that
• 〜らしい apparently, it seems (based on what one heard)
• 〜みたいだ seems like, looks like, is like
• 〜がる / 〜がっている to show signs of (another person's feeling)
• 〜かもしれない might, may, possibly