ごとき・
The ようだ of old written Japanese: "like", "as if". Today it lives in proverbs, set phrases and fiction that wants a grand or old sound. Straight after a person, ごとき is something else: "the likes of".
He left the room as silently as a shadow.
the likes of
It is not for the likes of me to interfere.
How to form it
Noun + の + ごとき／ごとく／ごとし
After a verb in the plain form it is mostly かのごとく, and in the oldest-sounding phrases がごとく. Also written 如き・如く・如し.
| Where it stands | Literary | Today |
|---|---|---|
| Before a noun | の | のような |
| Before a verb or adjective | の | のように |
| At the end of a sentence | の | のようだ |
- Where you'll meet it
- Proverbs, historical novels, fantasy, speeches. It is for reading: what people say is ように, or みたいに.
The ones still in use
In ordinary writing today it is nearly always ごとく, in a few set phrases.
当然のごとくas a matter of course
He took the best seat as if it were his by right.
例のごとくas usual
My little brother turned up thirty minutes late, as usual.
前述のごとくas stated above
As stated above, the survey was carried out three times.
烈火のごとく怒るto fly into a rage
When my father heard about it, he flew into a rage.
In a novel
A pale light like moonlight filled the corridor.
The general came home with his head held high, as if there had been no defeat at all.
To him, an obstacle of this size is no more than dust.
私ごとき: the likes of me
Straight after a noun, usually a person, and with no の, ごとき compares nothing. It makes the person small: modest about yourself, contemptuous about anyone else. The everyday word is なんか.
What can a mere newcomer do?
Those words are far too generous for someone like me.
Close neighbours
The same comparison in today's Japanese. In conversation, みたいだ.
He walked silently, like a cat.
Today's かのごとく: "as if", for what is plainly not so.
She came back looking as though nothing had happened.
なんて・なんかN3
The everyday way to wave a person or a thing away: "the likes of".
Could someone like me really manage as leader?
Check yourself
1Which one fits?
時は
Choose an answer to see why.
2What is the tone?
お前ごときに
Choose an answer to see why.
More sentences
Memories slip through the fingers like sand.
The old castle lay in the mist like a sleeping beast.
The bell rang out as if announcing the end of the world.
がごとく after a verb.
Even an expert such as he can misjudge things.
With の it is a plain "such as", and there is no contempt in it.