Likening things with 〜みたい
Something is likened to another thing joining them with みたい. The second word is said to be like the first. みたい is similar to attaching “-like” to a word in English.
Usage
When the following word is a verb or い adjective, みたいに is used; when a noun, みたいな is used.
Further reading
- How to use みたい (maggiesensei.com)