“Typical example”, “such as”, “and the likes”: のような Versus のように: got it! Explanations

(Edit: This is N3 if you wonder.)

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So I just had some slightly hard time navigating the internet trying to understand when you use のような or のように, and as I finally got it, I thought I’d share it with you here in case some of you had the same issue.

So the rule I had was:

– N ＋ のよう に + V
– N ＋ のよう に + A

– N1 ＋ のよう な ＋ N2

(= Such as N1 and the likes, N2)
(= N2, such as, N1 and the likes)

な before a second Noun, and に before an Adjective or Verb.

But what wasn’t very clear was why, for instance, this example:

梅雨 のよう に 雨の多い季節

(つゆ のよう に あめ の おおい きせつ）

Seasons with frequent rains such as tsuyu

The thing that is in question here is the “seasons”, which is a noun, so why are we not using the N1 ＋ のよう な ＋ N2 form, 梅雨 のような 季節？

This alone, 梅雨 のような 季節, would indeed be correct.

But it’s not what we have here: what we have here is not “comparing season 1 with season 2, comparing seasons with 梅雨 (つゆ、the name of the rainy season in June, if you don’t know)”.

What is compared here is not the noun, but actually the adjective ”多い”, many, frequent.

Or more accurately, it’s not a comparison: 多い is the common term between tsuyu and the seasons of which tsuyu is a “typical example”:

Seasons where rains are _frequent_, as they are _frequent_ in tsuyu.

So the compared term here is the adjective, so we use に, not な。

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**SUMMARY SENTENCES**

To clarify the difference better, and give you an easy reference if you doubt:

– (Friendly reminder: **Animals talking like humans, sounding like humans when they talk:**

人間 の よう に 話す 動物)

Now here, in the “such as…, …and the likes, typical example” meaning of the のように・のような form:

– **”Animals”, such as humans or dogs:**

人間や犬 の ような 動物

N のよう な N

– **”Animals that talk”, such as humans:**

人間 の よう な 話す動物

“Animals that talk” is considered a noun, because the main part is still “animals”, and only the type of animals they are is “those that talk”.

“Animals (that talk) = Noun”, such as “Humans = Noun”
N のよう な N

– **Animals that “talk a lot”, such as humans or monkeys, who both talk a lot:**

人間や猿 のように たくさん話す 動物。

What is compared here is not the “animals”, the type of animals.

What is compared here how they “talk”: animals that “talk a lot”, such as “(the way humans or monkey) talk, which is: a lot”.

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I had to write this a bit fast as I’m currently studying myself, but feel free to let me know if something isn’t clear, and meanwhile I hope it helps!