どうやら
- 1Introduces a conclusion inferred from signs or evidence.Ex. 1
- 2Indicates that something was managed despite difficulty.Ex. 3
SentenceA complete sentence. It can end in a verb, an adjective, or a noun + だ／です.
雨が降る・昨日は寒かった・明日は休みです
Verb (ta-form)The plain past form of a verb, ending in た／だ.
行った・食べた・した・来（き）た
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Neutral in register and used when interpreting signs, such as a darkening sky or someone’s demeanor. In its inferential sense, it introduces the speaker’s conclusion rather than serving as the sentence-ending inference expression; it can also mean that something was managed despite difficulty.
Do not assume that どうやら requires らしい, ようだ, みたいだ or そうだ; it can also occur with のだ／んだ or a plain past form.
- 1.ようだN4「ようだ」 is a sentence-final auxiliary verb that expresses conjecture on its own; 「どうやら」 is an adverb and needs a sentence-final form like 「ようだ」 to complete the inference, so 「どうやら～ようだ」 is common. 「ようだ」 also has a figurative (simile) use, which 「どうやら」 lacks, and 「どうやら」 can additionally mean 'somehow/finally managed to.'
- 2.らしいN4「らしい」 attaches at the end of a sentence and by itself expresses conjecture, as well as hearsay and the sense of 'typical/proper'; 「どうやら」 is an adverb that must pair with a sentence-final form like 「らしい」 when expressing inference, and it can also mean 'somehow/finally managed to.' The two are not interchangeable, though they are often used together.
- 3.とみえる / とみえてN3In its inferential sense, 「とみえる」 itself expresses inference, attaches to plain forms (nouns and な-adjectives take 「だ」), and leans literary, while 「とみえて」 can be followed by supporting evidence; 「どうやら」 is an adverb that requires a sentence-final conjecture expression, and it also has the 'somehow/finally managed to' sense.
- 4.みたいだN4「みたいだ」 attaches at the end of a sentence and by itself expresses conjecture (it can also express simile), and it leans colloquial; 「どうやら」 is an adverb whose conjectural nuance is completed by the sentence-final expression, so 「どうやら～みたいだ」 is common, and the two are not interchangeable.
- 5.ような気がするN3「ような気がする」 attaches at the end of a sentence and frames a judgment as one's own vague feeling; it can also refer to a hazy memory of the past. 「どうやら」 is an adverb that expresses conjecture based on signs or indications, and it typically pairs with a sentence-final form like 「らしい」.
ようだ, らしい, みたいだ and とみえる／とみえて express an inference themselves, while どうやら is an adverb that introduces a conclusion and can occur with such expressions. ような気がする presents something as a subjective feeling rather than introducing a conclusion from signs.
