上野(うえの)に厳(きび)しげな顔(かお)をした男(おとこ)の人(ひと)がいました。
- There was a man with a stern face in Ueno.
How to use げ?
Used :
- to seem like
- to describe the attitude, feeling, impression and appearance of the animal, including humans
- Rather literary expression
Attached to :
- i-adjective : 厳(きび)しい – 厳(きび)しげ / seemingly stern
- na-adjective : 得意(とくい) – 得意(とくい)げ / seeming good at
*げ is na-adjective
Exception :
- よい – よさげ / seemingly good
- ない – なさげ / seemingly nothing
- ある – ありげ / seemingly have
Attention ;
- げ can be replaced by そう but only when そう is used for animal’s emotion
ok : 楽(たの)しそうな顔(かお) – 楽(たの)しげな顔(かお) / seemingly happy face
not ok : おいしそうなケーキ – おいしげなケーキ / seemingly delicious cake
Examples
子(こ)どもが不安(ふあん)げな顔(かお)をして親(おや)を見(み)ていた。
Children were looking at their parents with anxious faces.
怪(あや)しげな人(ひと)が近所(きんじょ)を歩(ある)いていた。
A suspicious person was walking in the neighbourhood.
引(ひ)っ越(こ)すのによさげな家(いえ)を見(み)つけたい。
I need to find a house seemingly nice to move into.
高級(こうきゅう)なお店(みせ)に、お金(かね)がなさげな人(ひと)が来(き)ていた。
Someone came to an upmarket shop who didn’t seem to have a lot of money.
何(なに)か言(い)いたいことがありげですね。
You seem to have something to say.
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