it seems; it appears (based on evidence)

ようだ states a conclusion you draw from evidence or your senses. Attach it to the plain form of a verb/adjective, to a noun with の, or a na-adjective with な. It is more formal than みたい and can also mark a likeness (まるで〜ようだ, just like).

Examples

• 誰だれもいないようだ。

  Dare mo inai you da.

  It seems nobody's here.

• 彼かれは疲つかれているようです。

  Kare wa tsukarete iru you desu.

  He appears to be tired.

Vocabulary in these examples

• 誰 who
• いる to exist (animate); to be
• 彼 he, him
• 疲れる to get tired

Related patterns · Guessing and hearsay

• 〜そうだ（様態） looks like; seems (from appearance)
• 〜そうだ（伝聞） I hear that; they say that
• 〜らしい seems; apparently (from what one heard)
• 〜かもしれない might; maybe
• 〜にちがいない must be; I'm sure that