ごとし

Japanese

Alternative spellings
如し若し

Etymology

Compare Middle Korean ᄀᆞᆮᄒᆞ다 (kothota) > Korean 같다 (gatda, “like; the same”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ɡo̞to̞ɕi]

Adjective

ごとし • (gotoshi) ^†-ku

(Classical Japanese or literary) like
風(かぜ)のごとく ― kaze no gotoku ― like the wind

風(かぜ)のごとく早(はや)し ― kaze no gotoku hayashi ― fast as the wind

風(かぜ)のごとき人(ひと) ― kaze no gotoki hito ― a person like the wind

時(とき)は風(かぜ)のごとし ― toki wa kaze no gotoshi ― time is like the wind
- 1914, 夏目漱石 [Natsume Sōseki], chapter 6, in こゝろ [Kokoro], 下先生と遺書 [Sensei's Testament]:
  私(わたくし)が従妹(いとこ)を愛(あい)していないごとく、従妹(いとこ)も私(わたくし)を愛(あい)していない事(こと)は、私(わたくし)によく知(し)れていました。
  Watakushi ga itoko o aishite inai gotoku, itoko mo watakushi o aishite inai koto wa, watakushi ni yoku shirete imashita.
  It was clear to me that, just as I did not love my cousin, my cousin too did not love me.

Inflection

Classical conjugation of "ごとし" (ク活用, see Appendix:Japanese verbs.)
Stem forms
Irrealis (未然形)			-
Continuative (連用形)	ごとく^[1] ごとかり^[2]		gotoku gotokari
Terminal (終止形)	ごとし		gotosi
Attributive (連体形)	ごときごとかる		gotoki gotokaru
Realis (已然形)			-
Imperative (命令形)			-
Key constructions
Negative	ごとからず		gotokarazu
Contrasting conjunction	ごとけれど		gotokeredo
Causal conjunction	ごとければ		gotokereba
Conditional conjunction	ごとくば		gotokuba
Past tense (firsthand knowledge)	ごとかりき		gotokariki
Past tense (secondhand knowledge)	ごとかりけり		gotokarikeri
Adverbial	ごとく		gotoku

^[1]Without auxiliary verb.
^[2]With auxiliary verb.

Derived terms

Also see ごとく (gotoku).