Noun の + ごとく / Verb が + ごとく

[Like / As if (literary)]

Connection: Noun の + ごとく / Verb が + ごとく

Usage: A literary and classical equivalent of ように (like, as if). Used in formal writing, proverbs, and set expressions. Adds an elevated, poetic tone.

Variations:

• ごとく (adverbial): 風のごとく走る (run like the wind)
• ごとき + Noun (modifying): 嵐のごとき拍手 (applause like a storm)
• ごとし (sentence-final, classical)

Examples:

光陰矢のごとし。(Time flies like an arrow. — proverb)

彼は風のごとく去っていった。(He left like the wind.)

水のごとく澄んだ心を持ちたい。(I want to have a heart as clear as water.)