modality N1 rare literarywritten
〜かのごとく — as if / as though ~
〜かのごとく ・ かのごとく
Meaning
- as if ~ / as though ~ — a literary simile describing something that resembles a state that is not actually so
Key sentence
彼は何も知らないかのごとく振る舞った。
He behaved as if he knew nothing.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Plain form (adverbial — modifies a verb) | plain form + かのごとく | 見た → 見たかのごとく語る 'speak as if having seen it' |
| Plain form (adnominal — modifies a noun) | plain form + かのごとき + Noun | 燃えるかのごとき情熱 'a passion as if ablaze' |
When: Literary. The standard-Japanese equivalent is かのように.
Examples
時が止まったかのごとく、辺りは静まり返った。
As though time had stopped, the surroundings fell utterly silent.
彼女はすべてを悟ったかのごとく微笑んだ。
She smiled as if she had understood everything.
その光景は夢であるかのごとく現実感がなかった。
The scene felt unreal, as though it were a dream.
When you can't use it
- Implies the resemblance is counterfactual — the thing only looks/acts that way but is not actually so. Don't use it for a genuine, literal likeness; use それは犬のようだ ('that looks like a dog') for a real resemblance, not 〜かのごとく.
Easily confused with
See 〜かのごとく in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜かのごとく the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar.