〜ようだ
It seems that… (inference from observation)machine translation
FormationPlain form + ようだ (noun + の, な-adjective + な)
〜ようだ expresses the speaker's inference based on what they themselves have observed or sensed: 誰か来たようだ (it seems someone has come — because you heard the doorbell, say). It's a conclusion drawn after taking in the situation, so it sounds more confident and grounded than a wild guess.
Formation: plain form + ようだ; nouns add の (学生のようだ), な-adjectives add な (静かなようだ). The polite form is ようです.
Within the cluster of inference patterns, distinguish them like this: 〜ようだ rests on your own direct observation; 〜らしい rests on information heard from outside; and the appearance 〜そうです (おいしそう) is an instant impression of how something looks the moment you see it, whereas ようだ is a conclusion after observing and thinking. The spoken-language version of ようだ is みたい — nearly identical in meaning, but みたい is much more casual.
Examples
電気がついていませんね。田中さんはもう帰ったようです。
The lights are off, aren't they? It seems Tanaka has already gone home.
誰か来たようです。
It seems someone has come.
彼は魚が好きではないようです。
It seems he doesn't like fish.