めく・
Something takes on the air of a thing without quite being it: a day that begins to feel like spring, a smile with something of a riddle in it. It goes on a short list of nouns.
The morning breeze softened, and the town suddenly began to feel like spring.
before a noun
He gave a mysterious smile and made no answer.
How to form it
Noun + めいた + noun ／ Noun + めく
Only certain nouns. めいた before a noun is the usual shape. めく is a verb, but you seldom meet the dictionary form: it is めいている, めいて聞こえる and, for a season, めいてきた.
- Where you'll meet it
- Novels, essays, reviews. It is for reading, except that 春めいてきましたね is an ordinary remark about the weather.
- In conversation
- っぽい or らしい: 皮肉っぽい, 春らしくなってきた.
The words you will meet
春めく・秋めくbegin to feel like spring, like autumn
Little by little, the trees have begun to take on the colors of autumn.
謎めいたmysterious
There was a mysterious charm about the old key.
皮肉めいたwith an edge of irony
The words were polite, but there was an edge of irony in the tone.
冗談めいたhalf-joking
Half-joking, he said that he might not come back.
説教めいたlike a lecture
Her explanation gradually began to sound like a lecture.
Others: 言い訳めいた (sounding like an excuse), 秘密めいた (secretive), 儀式めいた (like a ceremony). The list is short but not closed. Writers add nouns of the same kind: 脅迫めいた手紙, a letter that reads like a threat; 予言めいた言葉, words that sound like a prophecy. Elsewhere people say っぽい or のような.
冗談めかして
めかす is the partner for doing it on purpose: you make something sound like a joke.
He said what he really thought, dressed up as a joke.
Close neighbours
らしいN4
Said of the real thing: 春らしい日 is a day in spring that is all a spring day should be. 春めく is the season just beginning to show.
It has turned into a warm day, a real spring day.
っぽいN3
A casual "-ish": a touch of something, often said as a complaint. 子どもっぽい is "childish".
His way of thinking is childish.
げN2
A feeling that shows in a person: 悲しげ, 不安げ. めく goes on a noun and gives the air of a thing.
She lowered her eyes and answered in a sad voice.
Check yourself
1What does this mean?
彼の
Choose an answer to see why.
2Which one fits?
彼女は
Choose an answer to see why.
More sentences
There seemed to be a touch of irony in the remark.
A tension like that of a ceremony hung over the hall.