Grammar Info
N2 Lesson 7: 20/21

かの様(よう)だ
as if, just like

Structure
Casual
Polite
Verb + よう(1)
[い]Adjective + よう(1)
[な]Adjective + である + よう(1)
Noun + である + よう(1)

(1) ように + Phrase、ような + Noun
Verb + ようです(1)
[い]Adjective + ようです(1)
[な]Adjective + である + ようです(1)
Noun + である + ようです(1)

(1) ように + Phrase、ような + Noun
Details
Register Standard
使用域 一般
Information
かのようだ is a set phrase in Japanese indicating that something ‘appears to be (A)’, but the speaker is not certain. It will be translated as ‘as if (A)’, or ‘just like (A)’. This is a combination of the adverbial particle か, の and the auxiliary verb 様(よう)だ ‘appearing to be’. The more literal meaning can be thought of as ‘is it not like (A)?’, due to the uncertainty expressed by か.
かのようだ may follow verbs and い-Adjectives, or な-Adjectives and nouns followed by である.
  • このVRフライトゲームはものすごくリアルだ。まるで本物(ほんもの)の飛行機(ひこうき)を操縦(そうじゅう)しているかのようだ
    This VR flight game is so realistic. It is just as if I am flying an actual airplane.
  • なんだこの静(しず)けさは。この町(まち)には誰(だれ)もいないかのようだ
    What is this quietness? What is this quietness? It is as if there is no one in this town.
  • 彼(かれ)はまるで私(わたし)と話(はな)すのが面倒(めんどう)であるかのようだ
    He talks to me as if it was a chore.
  • 彼(かれ)と僕(ぼく)は兄弟(きょうだい)であるかのようだが、実(じつ)は彼(かれ)は僕(ぼく)のパートナーです。
    It is as if he and I are brothers, but actually he is my partner.
When ようだ is altering the meaning of a verb or a noun later in the sentence, ように or ような may also be used.
  • 長谷川(はせがわ)くんのお母(かあ)さんは私(わたし)を自分(じぶん)の子供(こども)であるかのように小(ちい)さい頃(ころ)から可愛(かわい)がってくれていた。
    Hasegawa-kun’s mother has taken care of me just as if I was her own child.
  • このスーパーに入(はい)ると、まるで母国(ぼこく)に帰(かえ)ってきたかのような感(かん)じがする。
    When I enter this supermarket, I feel as if I am back in my home country.
This grammar construction will often be seen with expressions that emphasize the speaker’s assumption about (A), such as まるで. If compared to English, this merely strengthens the sentence in a similar way to the difference between ‘it’s as if (A)’, and ‘it’s just as if (A)’.
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その日(ひ)、隣(となり)家(いえ)子供(こども)とすこし話(はな)した。10才(さい)の子供(こども)でも喋(しゃべ)り方(かた)はまるでもう大人(おとな)あるかのようだった
On that day I spoke to the neighbor's child a bit. Despite being a ten year old, they spoke as if they were an adult.
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その歌手(かしゅ)の振(ふ)る舞(ま)いは名高(なだか)い歌手(かしゅ)あるかのようだが、実(じつ)はキャリアを始(はじ)めたばかりだ。
That singer's behavior is as if she is famous, but in reality, she has just begun her career.
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うちの犬(いぬ)は生(い)きていたとき私(わたし)をときどきじろじろ見(み)たもので、あたかも何(なに)か言(い)いたいかのようだった
My dog used to stare at me from time to time when it was still around just like it was trying to tell me something.
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新完全マスター文法、N3
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