Time flies like an arrow.
Time flies like an arrow.
ようだ is the modern standard way to say 'like/as if', while 如し is its classical, literary equivalent found in old sayings and formal writing.
みたいだ is a casual, everyday way to say 'like/as if', whereas 如し is archaic and appears mainly in proverbs and classical texts.
如し is the plain/terminal form used at the end of a clause ('…のごとし'), while ごとき is the attributive form used directly before a noun.
Standard kanji form for this classical auxiliary verb.
Rare alternate kanji; 如し is overwhelmingly preferred.
Classical Japanese auxiliary verb. The kanji 如 is used for its meaning 'like' or 'as'. The reading ごとし is the classical shūshikei (terminal form).