1.
like; similar to; as if
A literary and formal expression meaning 'like' or 'resembling,' used to draw comparisons. Modifies the following noun.
嵐の如き拍手。
Applause like a storm.
光の如き速さで駆け抜けた。
He dashed through at a speed like light.
夢の如き一日だった。
It was a day like a dream.
2.
the likes of; someone/something as insignificant as
Used dismissively to belittle someone or something, implying they are unworthy of consideration.
お前如きに何が分かる。
What could the likes of you understand?
素人如きに負けるわけがない。
There's no way I'd lose to a mere amateur.
こんな問題如き、簡単に解ける。
A problem like this is easily solved.
USAGE:
A classical Japanese expression still used in modern literary, dramatic, and formal contexts. Follows the pattern Noun + の如き + Noun (sense 1) or Noun + 如き (sense 2, dismissive). The adverbial form is 如く. Also written as ごとき in hiragana.
FORMS:
- 如き — attributive (before nouns)
- 如く — adverbial (before verbs)
- 如し — predicative (sentence-ending)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- のような: like — the standard modern equivalent of 如き
- まるで: just like, as if — adds emphasis to comparisons