如く / 如き / 如し【ごとく】

The classical Japanese expression 如く・如き・如し (ごとく・ごとき・ごとし) means "like," "as if," or "the same as." It is the literary and formal equivalent of ようだ or みたいだ. While archaic in origin, it persists in modern Japanese in formal writing, literature, proverbs, set phrases, and highly rhetorical speech. It lends a stately, elevated tone to whatever it modifies.

Forms and usage

如し (ごとし) is the base (終止形) predicative form derived from classical grammar. In modern usage, the three main inflected forms you encounter are:

• 如く (ごとく) – adverbial form, modifies verbs and clauses

  ひかり光のごとく如くはしりさった走り去った。

  He dashed away like light.

• 如き (ごとき) – attributive form, modifies nouns

  かのじょ彼女はてんし天使のごとき如きえがお笑顔をみせた見せた。

  She showed an angel-like smile.

• 如し (ごとし) – sentence-final predicative form

  そのはや速さはいなずま稲妻のごとし如し。

  That speed is like lightning.

Connecting patterns

如く / 如き / 如し attaches to nouns and verbs in the following ways:

• Noun + の + 如く / 如き / 如し

  あらし嵐のごとき如きはくしゅ拍手がわきおこった沸き起こった。

  Applause erupted like a storm.

• Verb[dictionary form / た-form] + が如く / が如き / が如し

  とき時がとまった止まったがごとき如きせいじゃく静寂だった。

  It was a silence as if time had stopped.

The particle が here is a classical possessive/subject particle (similar to modern の).

Nuance and register

This expression is significantly more formal and literary than ように or みたいに. It appears frequently in:

• Proverbs and idioms:こういん光陰や矢のごとし如し ("Time flies like an arrow")
• Literary prose and poetry
• Formal speeches and written rhetoric
• Martial arts, religious, and philosophical texts

Using 如く in casual conversation would sound extremely stiff or dramatic. However, recognizing it is essential for reading classical literature, proverbs, and high-register modern Japanese.

如き used for self-deprecation

A notable fixed usage is 私の如き or 私如き, meaning "someone as lowly/insignificant as me." This is a humble expression.