you vs rashii

Hi. I would like to know the difference between "marude...you..." and "douyara...rashii..."

The first one should be something like "what appears to be". I learned that "rashii" is what you heard from somewhere else about something, but from the examples I encounter, they don't really look like it.

どうやらそれが喜びの阜ｻらしい

And is there any difference if I drop the "marude" and the "douyara" in front of the expressions?

As usual, thanks.

"marude ... you" is more like "looks/sounds/seems as if...." (*This is your own observation.*)

- まるで天使の歌声のようだ。(It sounds as if it was a song of an angel.)

"marude" is added for emphasis, and "douyara" is "somehow," so those can be dropped.

"...rashii" is, yes, "I hear that...." or "they say..." (*though you yourself do not know for sure* = So this could be your impressions, or what you've heard from someone else).

- どうやらそれが喜びの阜ｻらしい (Somehow it seems to be/they say it is expression of joy.)

- あのレストランの食事はおいしいらしい(Meals at that restaurant seem to be/I hear is good.)

1.

I am a Japanese. I try to answer appropriately all the more for your clear sense of language.

''Rashii'' is used not only when the speaker has heard so; it's a word to state speaker's guess / presumption / inference from objective things. You can use it to state a man seems to have lost something, judging from his behavior; but you can not use it to state you feel your back aches. A word ''you(da)'' will do in both the cases.

An expression ''a fact rashii'' implies that the fact has not been confirmed; confidence in the fact widely ranges by cases. If you use ''douyara... rasii'' in a business talk, your boss may ask you, ''What's the evidence?''

- Douyara sore-ga yorokobi-no hyougen rashii. どうやらそれが喜びの阜ｻらしい。: Presumably, that is the expression of joy.

''Douyara... rashii'' and ''doumo... rashii'' both sound to me rather informal. I think ''douyara...'' can be used also when the speaker thinks there are enough reasons or the speaker is willing to admit the fact, while ''doumo...'' can not.

2.

''Marude... -no you(da)'' means: seem / look / sound just like... or as if ...; this expression can be replaced by ''marude... mitai(da)'' which doesn't include ''-no.'' ''Youda'' / ''mitaida'' is a form to end a sentence; ''youni'' / ''mitaini'' is a form to modify a verb or an adjective.

- Kare-wa marude kodomo-no youni kusu-kusu warau. 彼はまるで子どものようにくすくす笑う。: He chuckles just like a child.

Note: ''Marude'' works differently when used for a negative expression. e.g. marude dame-da: totally no good. marude wakaranai: can't understand at all.

3/3.

: ''rashii'' is what you heard from somewhere else about something

That's the way how ''Sou(da)'' is used. But, I think even Japanese speakers now don't draw a sharp line between the two words.

Note: When used to modify an adjective, ''sou(da)'' means: seem / look / sound.

- Kono mise-no ranchi-wa uma-souda. この店のランチはうまそうだ。: This shop's lunch looks delicious.

Cf.

- Kono mise-no ranchi-wa umai souda. この店のランチはうまいそうだ。: I've heard this shop's lunch is delicious.

//

Great explanations, Ak and omotenashi. Thanks a lot! =)