～げ

How to form it

• い-adjective stem + げ
• な-adjective stem + げ
• Verb (ます-stem) + たげ

Register: Written; descriptive

Explanation

Describes how someone or something appears, especially a feeling or state that can be seen from outside.

It applies to the way a person looks or behaves, usually about feelings. The speaker infers it from the outside. Typically followed by な or に.

Examples

1. 彼女は悲しげな顔をしていた。

   かのじょはかなしげなかおをしていた。

   She had a sad look on her face.

2. 子どもは楽しげに遊んでいる。

   こどもはたのしげにあそんでいる。

   The children are playing happily.

3. 彼は何か言いたげな様子だった。

   かれはなにかいいたげなようすだった。

   He looked as if he wanted to say something.

Compare with

• ～気味: 気味 is a slight sign of a condition; げ is the outward look of a feeling.

Common mistakes

• Using it for the speaker's own feelings. It describes how someone else seems.