良よき

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

Used as a noun meaning 'goodness' or 'that which is good', often in philosophical or abstract contexts. Can appear in set phrases like 良きにつけ悪しきにつけ.

彼かれは人にん間げんの良よきを信しんじている。
He believes in the goodness of people.

pre-noun adjectival

good; nice; pleasant

Pre-noun adjectival form of 良い (よい), used directly before a noun. Slightly formal or literary compared to いい. Common in set expressions like 良き日, 良き友, or 良き時代.

Usage patterns

良よき〈人ひと〉a good (friend/mentor/etc.)
彼かれは私わたしにとって良よき友ゆう人じんだ。
He is a good friend to me.
良よき〈時とき〉a good era/time (nostalgic, literary)
昭しょう和わは良よき時じ代だいだったと祖そ父ふはよく言いう。
My grandfather often says the Showa era was a good time.
良よき〈事こと〉a good memory/tradition (literary)
この学がっ校こうには良よき伝でん統とうが残のこっている。
This school still has a good tradition.

Expressions

良よきことgood thing
良よきにつけ悪あしきにつけfor better or worse; in good times and bad

Kanji

良good, pleasing, skilled
佳excellent, beautiful, good
善virtuous, good, goodness

Related words

良よいN5sense 2
良い is the standard modern adjective meaning 'good', while 良き is its classical pre-noun form used mainly in fixed, literary expressions.
いいN5sense 2
いい is the everyday colloquial word for 'good', whereas 良き is formal and restricted to modifying a following noun in set phrases.

Opposites

悪あしき sense 2
悪しき is the classical opposite of 良き, meaning 'bad', and the two appear together in the fixed phrase 良きにつけ悪しきにつけ.

Don't confuse with

よし sense 2
良し is a predicate/interjection meaning 'it's fine' or 'OK', while 良き is a pre-noun modifier used only before a following noun.

Word family

古ふるき良よき
good old; good old-fashioned
良よきもの
good thing
良よき手て本ほん
good example; fine model

Written forms

良よき
Standard kanji spelling; the most frequent form in modern usage.
佳よき
Alternative kanji, less common and somewhat literary.
善よき
Alternative kanji, less common and somewhat literary.

Etymology

Classical Japanese pre-noun form of 良し (よし), the old terminal form of modern 良い (よい). The noun sense derives from nominalization of this form.

Meanings

noun

goodness; the good

Used as a noun meaning 'goodness' or 'that which is good', often in philosophical or abstract contexts. Can appear in set phrases like 良きにつけ悪しきにつけ.

彼かれは人にん間げんの良よきを信しんじている。
He believes in the goodness of people.

pre-noun adjectival

good; nice; pleasant

Pre-noun adjectival form of 良い (よい), used directly before a noun. Slightly formal or literary compared to いい. Common in set expressions like 良き日, 良き友, or 良き時代.