At a glance
～ごとく means "like" or "as". It is a formal, literary way to compare one thing to another, used mostly in writing and speeches.
Noun + の + ごとく
Verb (dictionary / た-form) + (が) ごとく
彼は風のごとく走り去った。 He ran off like the wind.
How to form it
ごとく is an expression. It attaches to nouns and verbs, and it belongs to formal written Japanese.
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | Noun + のごとく | 風のごとく |
| Verb (dictionary form) | Verb + (が)ごとく | 見るがごとく |
| Verb (た-form) | Verb-た + (が)ごとく | 言ったごとく |
Related forms of the same word:
| Position | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Before a noun | ごとき + noun | 天使のごとき声 |
| End of sentence | ごとし | 光陰矢のごとし |