Components

Grammar detail: 〜げ

〜げ  seems like, seems
173 words
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い adjective stem
+
means
seems like ~
Similar to other forms such as 〜そう, 〜らしい, and 〜ぽい, the げ form of an adjective expresses the idea that something seems to be the case. The げ form is commonly used when expressing feelings (it originally came from 気).
The げ form turns the い adjective into a な adjective; alternatively it can be followed by に and used as an adverb.
かのじょ
彼女
さび
しげ
かお
している
She looks lonely.
In this example げな describes the expression on the girl's face - the adjective
さび
しい (lonely) has been modified to function as a な adjective:
さび
しげな
かお
(lonely-looking).
かのじょ
彼女
かなしげ
ほほえ
微笑
んだ

She smiled sadly.
In this example げに modifies
かな
しい (sad), so that it functions as an adverb (sadly-seeming).
てがみ
手紙
いまいま
忌々
しげ
つめ
これ
あくめい
悪名
たか
あかがみ
赤紙
ってヤツ
I glare resentfully at the crimson letter, is this the infamous red-paper draft notice?
In the same way in this example, げに modifies
いまいま
忌々
しい, turning it into an adverb.
なに
いたげ
ためらっていた
He hesitated as though he wanted to say something.
In this example the げ is added to the たい form of the verb to express the idea of 'seeming to want'.
The phrase
おとな
大人
げがない or
おとな
大人
げない may also be encountered, both meaning 'childish' (literally 'not grownup-seeming').
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Kanji used in this grammar

キ   ケ    spirit   
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ジャク   セキ   さびしい lonely   さび elegant simplicity   さびれる to go downhill, to decline   
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ガン   かお face   
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ヒ   かなしい sad   かなしむ to be sad   
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キ    mourning   いまわしい disgusting, abominable   い to loathe, abhor   
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(kanji repetition symbol)   
ダイ   タイ   おおきい big   おおいに very much   おお-    
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ジン   ニン   ひと person   
ヒ   かれ he   
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ジョ   ニョ   ニョウ   woman; female   おんな woman   め woman   
ビ   minute, slight
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ショウ   わら to laugh   え to smile   
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シン   truth   ま exactly; deep   
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セキ   シャク   あか    あか red   あからむ to turn red   あからめる to blush   
シュ   hand   て    た-    
シ   かみ paper   
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ケン   み to see   みえる to be seen; to appear   みせる to show   
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アク   オ   わる bad   
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メイ   ミョウ   な name   
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コウ   expensive; high   たか    たか expensive, tall, high   たかまる to be elevated   たかめる to promote, heighten   
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カ   なに    なん what?   
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ゲン   ゴン   say; word   こと word, saying   い to say   
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