Grammar › Manner & Implication
ごとし/ごとく — “like, as if” (classical)
A literary, classical way to make a comparison, common in proverbs and formal writing
Noun + の + ごとく (adverbial) or ごとし (sentence-final) makes a simile in classical-flavored Japanese — “like X” or “as if X.” It survives today mainly in proverbs, mottos, and formal or literary writing, functioning much like ように/のような but with an older register.
How to form it
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| Noun + の + ごとく | 光陰矢のごとし — Time flies like an arrow (a well-known proverb) |
Example sentences
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 光陰矢のごとし。 | こういんやのごとし。 kouinyanogotoshi。 | Time flies like an arrow. |
| 彼は稲妻のごとく走り去った。 | かれはいなずまのごとくはしりさった。 karehainazumanogotokuhashirisatta。 | He dashed off like a bolt of lightning. |
| 前述のごとく、この問題は複雑だ。 | ぜんじゅつのごとく、このもんだいはふくざつだ。 zenjutsunogotoku、konomondaihafukuzatsuda。 | As stated above, this problem is complex. |
🔊 Tap any Japanese sentence to hear it; kanji link to their study pages.
Watch out
ごとし/ごとく is classical Japanese grammar preserved in modern set phrases — it isn't productive in ordinary conversation the way ように is; stick to well-known set expressions rather than coining new ones.