modality N2 common casualpolitewritten
〜かのように — as if / as though ~
〜かのように ・ かのように
Builds on ように
Meaning
- as if / as though ~ — describes an action done in a way that resembles something explicitly contrary to fact
Key sentence
彼は何も見なかったかのように通り過ぎた。
He walked past as if he hadn't seen anything.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb / adjective (plain) — often past | Plain form + かのように + verb | 全てを知っているかのように話す |
| Noun + であるかのように | N + であるかのように | プロであるかのように振る舞う |
When: Somewhat literary; frequently emphasised by まるで at the front (まるで〜かのように).
Examples
まるで自分の手柄であるかのように自慢した。
He bragged as though it were his own achievement.
時間が止まったかのように静かだった。
It was quiet, as if time had stopped.
When you can't use it
- Signals an explicitly counter-to-fact comparison ('as if', but it isn't really so); the adverbial かのように modifies a verb, while かのようだ closes a sentence.
Easily confused with
See 〜かのように in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜かのように 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.