ごとく
ごとく
adverb
like; as if; as though
1.
like; as if; as though
A literary or formal expression meaning 'like' or 'as if,' used to draw comparisons. The full form is のごとく or がごとく.
風のごとく走る。
To run like the wind.
火のごとく燃える情熱。
A passion that burns like fire.
光陰矢のごとし。
Time flies like an arrow.
Famous proverb. ごとし is the sentence-ending form of ごとく.
彼は水を得た魚のごとく、新しい職場で活躍した。
Like a fish in water, he thrived at his new workplace.
A classical Japanese comparison particle meaning "like" or "as." In modern Japanese, it appears in set phrases, proverbs, and formal/literary writing. The everyday equivalent is のように or みたいに.
FORMS:
- ごとく: adverbial form (modifies verbs)
- ごとき: attributive form (modifies nouns: 嵐のごとき勢い — force like a storm)
- ごとし: sentence-ending form (矢のごとし — like an arrow)
PATTERNS:
- Noun + のごとく: like [noun]
- Verb dictionary form + がごとく: as if [verb]
COMMON EXPRESSIONS:
- 光陰矢のごとし: time flies like an arrow
- 水を得た魚のごとく: like a fish in water
- 怒涛のごとく: like raging waves
SIMILAR WORDS:
- のように: like, as if (standard modern equivalent)
- みたいに: like (casual modern equivalent)
- さながら: just like, as though (literary, similar register)