GRAMMAR DETAIL

～ような気がする

feel as though; have a feeling that

Follows a plain form to express the speaker's vague feeling or recollection rather than a firm judgment.

Examples

この音はどこかで聞いたような気がする。

I feel as though I have heard this sound somewhere before.

この道は前にも歩いたような気がします。

I have a feeling that I have walked along this road before.

Structure: A plain predicate, such as a verb, connects with ような気がする to express an impression or uncertain recollection.
Basic usage: この音はどこかで聞いたような気がする。 conveys an uncertain impression of having heard the sound before.

Certainty of recollection
- 聞いたことがある states an experience of hearing it; 聞いたような気がする states an impression of doing so. They differ in how firmly the memory is presented.
Nouns and na-adjectives
- A noun takes の, as in 知り合いのような気がする; a na-adjective takes な, as in 静かなような気がする. The な in ような connects it to the following noun 気.