like; as if

ごとし means like or as, a literary equivalent of ようだ. The adverbial form is ごとく and the modifying form is ごとき. Attach it to a noun with の or a verb's dictionary form. It appears in proverbs and formal writing.

Examples

• 光陰こういん矢やのごとし。

  Kouin ya no gotoshi.

  Time flies like an arrow.

• 彼かれは氷こおりのごとく冷つめたい態度たいどを取とった。

  Kare wa koori no gotoku tsumetai taido o totta.

  He took an attitude as cold as ice.

Vocabulary in these examples

• 彼 he, him
• 氷 ice
• 冷たい cold (to the touch)
• 態度 attitude
• 取る to take; to pick up

Related patterns · Formal and literary

• 〜をもって with; by means of; as of
• 〜にあって in; at; under (a situation)
• 〜とあって because (a special situation)
• 〜べからず must not; do not (prohibition)
• 〜まじき unbecoming; that should never be
• 〜に難くない not hard to; easy to