〜げ
ge
By Nihongo PathUpdated
Meaning
"looking ~", "seeming ~" — the outward appearance of an emotion or state.
You are judging from the outside how someone looks, so it is used mainly for other people. The result behaves as a な-adjective: 不安げな顔, 楽しげに遊ぶ.
Descriptive, somewhat literary writing about how a person seems.
Formation
V = verb, N = noun, A = adjective.
い-adj stem + げ (嬉しげ, 楽しげ, 寂しげ)な-adj stem + げ (不安げ, 得意げ)V-ます stem + げ (limited: 言いたげ, 自信ありげ)Behaves as a な-adjective (〜げな N, 〜げに)
Visual diagram
| Aspect | Register | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜げ | literary, third person | 彼女は寂しげに笑った |
| 〜そう | everyday | 彼女は寂しそうに笑った |
| 〜たげ | looks like wants to | 何か言いたげな顔 |
Natural examples
子供たちは楽しげに遊んでいる。
こどもたちはたのしげにあそんでいる。
The children are playing happily.
彼女は寂しげに窓の外を見ていた。
かのじょはさびしげにまどのそとをみていた。
She was gazing out of the window, looking lonely.
彼女は不安げな顔で、こちらを見た。
かのじょはふあんげなかおで、こちらをみた。
She looked over at me with an anxious face.
彼は何か言いたげだった。
かれはなにかいいたげだった。
He looked as if he wanted to say something.
Similar grammar and the difference
〜そうだ (appearance)
Everyday equivalent: 寂しそう.
A quality or tendency, not the look of an emotion. Compare side by side
〜気 (け): 人気, 寒気
Different suffix, different meaning.
Common mistakes
- ✗
- 私は寂しげだ。
- ✓
- 私は寂しい。
- Why
- げ describes others as seen from outside; for yourself state the feeling directly.
- ✗
- 寂しいげ
- ✓
- 寂しげ
- Why
- Drop い before げ.
- ✗
- 大人げのある態度
- ✓
- 大人げのない態度
- Why
- 大人げない is a fixed negative expression.
Literary version of 〜そうだ (appearance). Mostly for emotions of a third person. 大人げない (childish) is a fixed exception. Adverb form げに is the most common in narration: 寂しげに, 楽しげに, 満足げに.
JLPT N3 tips
On the exam
- A third person's visible emotion in a narrative passage + blank + に / な = げ.
- Stem check: い-adjectives drop い (寂しげ), な-adjectives use the stem (不安げ).
- Reading passages use げ to show characters' feelings; use it to answer emotion questions.
Frequently asked questions
What does 〜げ mean?
"looking ~", "seeming ~" — the outward appearance of an emotion or state. You are judging from the outside how someone looks, so it is used mainly for other people. The result behaves as a な-adjective: 不安げな顔, 楽しげに遊ぶ.
How do you form 〜げ?
い-adj stem + げ (嬉しげ, 楽しげ, 寂しげ) / な-adj stem + げ (不安げ, 得意げ) / V-ます stem + げ (limited: 言いたげ, 自信ありげ) / Behaves as a な-adjective (〜げな N, 〜げに). V = verb, N = noun, A = adjective.
When is 〜げ used?
Descriptive, somewhat literary writing about how a person seems.
What is the difference between 〜げ and 〜そうだ (appearance)?
Everyday equivalent: 寂しそう.
What is the difference between 〜げ and 〜っぽい?
A quality or tendency, not the look of an emotion.
What is a common mistake with 〜げ?
Wrong: 私は寂しげだ。 Right: 私は寂しい。 げ describes others as seen from outside; for yourself state the feeling directly.
Quick check
彼女は（ ）に、遠くの空を見つめていた。