ごとき（如き）
Like / Such as / Of the kind of …
(often used to evaluate, classify, or look down on something) This grammar expresses that something is being compared or categorized, frequently with a critical, dismissive, or evaluative tone.
Meaning
(often used to evaluate, classify, or look down on something) This grammar expresses that something is being compared or categorized, frequently with a critical, dismissive, or evaluative tone.
Formation
Explanation
ごとき is the noun-modifying form of ごとく.
It is used only before nouns, never at the end of a sentence.
Core idea:
“Something like X”
“Something of that kind”
Important nuance:
Often implies low evaluation, criticism, or contempt
Sounds authoritative, old-fashioned, or judgmental
Frequently used when the speaker distances themselves from the thing described
This grammar is commonly found in:
laws and official documents
editorials and criticism
historical or literary writing
JLPT N1 reading passages
It is almost never used in casual speech.