JLPT N1 Grammar
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Seems like; becoming
Category: State and Appearance
The grammar pattern 'N + めく' is used to indicate that something starts to show signs of a certain state or quality. It often conveys a sense of gradual change or development. For example, '春がくる' means 'spring is coming,' but '春がめく' implies that spring is slowly revealing itself. This pattern is commonly used with seasons, but it can also be used with abstract nouns like 'nazo' (mystery). The nuance of this pattern is that it suggests a subtle or gradual transformation, rather than a sudden change.
| Form | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Godan verb | N + めく | 春がめく |
| Godan verb in the past tense | N + めた | 春がめった |
| Godan verb in the negative | N + めない | 春がめかない |
日差しが暖かくなり、ようやく春がめく
Hihashi ga atsukawanari, yōyaku haru ga meku
As the sun shines warmer, spring slowly reveals itself.
日差し (hīshashi) - sunlight, 暖かく (atsukawanari) - warming up, ようやく (yōyaku) - finally, 春が (haru ga) - spring, めく (meku) - revealing itself
彼女の謎の態度は、周囲を困惑させた
Kanojo no nazo no taido wa, shūi o konwaku saseta
Her mysterious attitude confused those around her.
彼女の (kanojo no) - her, 謎の (nazo no) - mysterious, 態度 (taido) - attitude, 周囲 (shūi) - those around her, 困惑 (konwaku) - confusion,させた (saseta) - caused
冗談がめく彼の言い方に、誰もが本当だと思ってしまった
Jōdan ga meku kare no iikata ni, daremo ga hontō da to omotte shimatta
As his joking manner slowly revealed itself, everyone thought it was true.
冗談が (jōdan ga) - joking manner, めく (meku) - revealing itself, 彼の (kare no) - his, 言い方 (iikata) - manner, 誰もが (daremo ga) - everyone, 本当だ (hontō da) - true, 思ってしまった (omotte shimatta) - thought
彼女の笑顔がめく
Kanojo no egao ga meku
Her smile slowly reveals itself.
彼女の (kanojo no) - her, 笑顔 (egao) - smile, めく (meku) - revealing itself
この謎がめく
Kono nazo ga meku
This mystery slowly reveals itself.
この (kono) - this, 謎 (nazo) - mystery, めく (meku) - revealing itself
This pattern is used to describe a gradual or subtle change in a situation or a person's behavior. It is often used with seasons, but it can also be used with abstract nouns like 'nazo' (mystery). The nuance of this pattern is that it suggests a slow or gradual transformation, rather than a sudden change. In terms of register, this pattern is formal and is often used in writing or in formal speech.
This pattern is used to describe a state or quality, not an action. Using it with verbs can change the meaning of the sentence and make it sound unnatural.
While both patterns describe a state or quality, 'rashii' is used to describe the behavior of something, whereas 'meku' is used to describe a gradual or subtle change.
This pattern is a Godan verb, not an I-adjective. Using the incorrect conjugation can change the meaning of the sentence and make it sound unnatural.
When using this pattern in the JLPT exam, make sure to use the correct conjugation for a Godan verb. Also, pay attention to the nuance of the pattern and use it to describe a gradual or subtle change in a situation or a person's behavior.
日差しが暖かくなり、ようやく春______きた。
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