Like, such as: 〜ごとき／〜ごとく／〜ごとし
名詞の・動詞辞書形（が）+ ごとき／ごとく／ごとし
ごとき (+ noun) / ごとく (+ verb) / ごとし (end): “like”, the classical form of ような / ように / ようだ, for formal writing and proverbs. Attached to a person, ごとき becomes humble (私ごとき) or contemptuous (お前ごとき).
In short
ごとし is the classical ancestor of ようだ (“like, similar to”). It changes form according to its position: ごとき before a noun (= ような), ごとく before a verb (= ように), ごとし at the end of a sentence (= ようだ). You find it in proverbs, official texts (前述のごとく) and formal language. Attached directly to a person (私ごとき, お前ごとき), it becomes humble or contemptuous.
- 前述のごとく、この計画には三つの問題がある。ぜんじゅつのごとく、このけいかくにはみっつのもんだいがある。As stated above, this plan has three problems.
- 光陰矢のごとし。こういんやのごとし。Time flies like an arrow.
- 私ごときに、そのような大役は務まりません。わたしごときに、そのようなたいやくはつとまりません。Someone as humble as myself could never fill such an important role.
The basics
ごとし belongs to classical Japanese and means “to be like”. Modern Japanese has replaced it with ようだ, but it survives in formal writing, proverbs, speeches and certain administrative texts, where it gives a grave or elegant tone — much as English keeps “as aforementioned” or “thus”.
Like an adjective, it declines: ごとき describes a noun, ごとく modifies a verb, ごとし ends the sentence.
He got down to work, like a fish in water.
- noun
- particle
- grammatical form
- verb
- 彼は水を得た魚のごとく、生き生きと働き始めた。かれはみずをえたさかなのごとく、いきいきとはたらきはじめた。He got down to work with gusto, like a fish in water.
- 過ぎたるはなお及ばざるがごとし。すぎたるはなおおよばざるがごとし。Too much is as bad as too little. (proverb)
How to form it
After a noun, add の; after a verb, often が (the classical form). The form depends on what follows, exactly like ような / ように / ようだ.
| Form | Modern equivalent | Position | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| ごとき | ような | before a noun | 夢のごとき日々 |
| ごとく | ように | before a verb, a comma | 前述のごとく |
| ごとし | ようだ | end of sentence | 光陰矢のごとし |
| verb + が + ごとく | verb + ように | after a verb | 眠るがごとく亡くなった |
- 祖父は眠るがごとく、静かに息を引き取った。そふはねむるがごとく、しずかにいきをひきとった。My grandfather passed away peacefully, as if falling asleep.
- 以下のごとく決定いたしました。いかのごとくけっていいたしました。The following has been decided.
私ごとき, お前ごとき: humility or contempt
When ごとき attaches directly to a noun for a person, without の, it means “someone as insignificant as”. About yourself (私ごとき), it's a very polite formula of humility. About someone else (お前ごとき, あんな男ごとき), it's openly contemptuous.
- 私ごときの意見がお役に立つかどうか分かりませんが。わたしごときのいけんがおやくにたつかどうかわかりませんが。I don't know whether the opinion of someone as humble as myself will be of any use, but…
- あんな男ごときに負けてたまるか。あんなおとこごときにまけてたまるか。There's no way I'm losing to the likes of him!
ごとし, ようだ, みたいだ
All three say “like”. みたいだ is spoken and casual, ようだ is neutral, ごとし is classical and solemn. In a letter or a report, 前述のごとく or 以下のごとく sounds serious; in conversation, it would raise a laugh.
- まるで夢みたいだ。まるでゆめみたいだ。It's like a dream. (spoken)
Common mistakes
- Mixing up the forms: before a noun it's ごとき, before a verb ごとく, at the end of a sentence ごとし. “×夢のごとく日々” is wrong.
- Forgetting の after a noun (“×矢ごとし”), except in 私ごとき / お前ごとき, where the absence of の changes the meaning.
- Saying “お前ごとき” thinking you're just being poetic: it's an insult.
7 exercises on this point
Particles to choose, sentences to put back in order, translations: marked straight away, then reviewed at the right time. This JLPT N1 point is on the Jōetsu Line (The land and the environment) of the Shinkansen.