GrammarJLPT N1Noun のごとき Noun (A no gotoki B)

Noun のごとき Noun (A no gotoki B)

JLPT N1

Explanation

Expresses 'like' or 'as if'; something/someone resembles something else strongly.

Formation

Noun1 + のごとき + Noun2

Detailed Explanation

The のごとき pattern is used to convey the concept of 'just like' or 'as if'. The comparison here is strong, indicating that the thing/person is very similar to or almost the same as the thing/person compared to. It is a bit archaic and thus is more often found in writings than in everyday conversation.

Examples

彼は神のごとき存在だ。

Kare wa kami no gotoki sonzai da.

He is an existence like a god.

彼女の美しさは花のごときものだ。

Kanojo no utsukushisa wa hana no gotoki mono da.

Her beauty is like a flower.

彼は悪魔のごとき行動をした。

Kare wa akuma no gotoki koudou o shita.

He acted like a devil.

この地方は春のごとき気候だ。

Kono chiho wa haru no gotoki kiko da.

This region has a climate like spring.

Grammar content sourced from hanabira.org.