みたい(だ)— Seems like / Looks like (casual inference)

• あの二人、付き合っているみたい。

  Ano futari, tsukiatte iru mitai.

  It looks like those two are dating.

  付き合っている + みたい = inference from what you observe

• 外はけっこう寒いみたいだよ。

  Soto wa kekkou samui mitai da yo.

  It seems pretty cold outside.

  寒い (i-adj) + みたいだ = inference

• その映画、すごく面白いみたいよ。

  Sono eiga, sugoku omoshiroi mitai yo.

  That movie seems really interesting.

  面白い + みたい = judgment from indirect evidence (reviews)

• ・Noun rule: unlike much N4 grammar, みたい attaches directly to a bare noun with no な or の (子供みたい = like a child).
• ・みたい behaves like a な-adjective: みたいに is the adverb form, みたいな is the noun-modifying form.

Commonly confused with

The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones みたい(だ) is tested against.

• らしい — Evidence-Based Hearsay / True Nature
• 〜そう (appearance) — Looks like / Seems (direct perception)
• そうだ (hearsay) — I hear that / Reportedly
• そうだ (seem) — Looks / Appears (immediate perception)
• みたいだ — Seems like / Appears to (casual inference)