〜げ (~ge) — looking ~ (visible emotion)
The feeling you can see on a face, in eyes or a voice — the literary cousin of 「そうだ」.
Formula (सूत्र ढाँचा)
Grammar rule (व्याकरण नियम र परिभाषा)
When to use it
- Work is over and the 店長 keeps looking at you without saying anything — 「店長は何か言いたげな顔をしていた」(he had a face that looked like it wanted to say something).
- You meet it constantly in novels, news and N2 reading; with friends 「そう」is enough.
Meaning
- 「〜げ」= you look at a face, the eyes, a voice and say 'they look ~'.
- It goes only with words for feelings or felt impressions — さびしい・悲しい・楽しい・不安・自信・満足・〜たい (涼しげ works too).
How to attach
- い-adjective: drop the 「い」(さびしい→さびしげ)
- な-adjective as it is (不安げ・得意げ・満足げ)
- 「〜たい」: drop the 「い」(言いたい→言いたげ)
- Memorise two irregulars: よい→よさげ, ない→なさげ (自信なさげ = looking unsure, 自信ありげ = looking confident)
- Once attached it becomes a な-adjective — 「げな」before a noun (さびしげな目), 「げに」before a verb (楽しげに遊ぶ).
Versus what you know
- N4You learned 「〜そうだ」— 「さびしそうな顔」「楽しそうに話す」: what something looks like to you. 「〜げ」is its slightly literary older brother — same meaning.
- N3Do not mix it up with that family: 「っぽい」= that kind of nature or quality (忘れっぽい), 「がち」= an unwelcome thing that keeps happening (休みがち), 「気味」= a touch of it (疲れ気味) — while 「げ」= the feeling visible on someone's face.
Watch out
Things like 「おいしい」「高い」do not take 「げ」— say 「おいしそう」there.
Examples (उदाहरणहरू)
店長は何か言いたげな顔で、私のほうを見た。
てんちょうはなにかいいたげなかおで、わたしのほうをみた。
The manager looked at me as though they wanted to say something.
How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) 言いたい = to want to say → take off 「い」: 言いた → we attach 「げ」 → it becomes a な-adj, so before a noun it's 「げな」 → 顔 (face) → looked at me with that kind of face.
子どもたちは公園で楽しげに遊んでいる。
こどもたちはこうえんでたのしげにあそんでいる。
The children are playing in the park, looking happy.
How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) 楽しい = fun → take off 「い」: 楽し → we attach 「げ」 → it's before a verb, so 「げに」 → 遊んでいる (are playing) — looking like they're enjoying it.
彼は面接の結果を、自信なさげに話していた。
かれはめんせつのけっかを、じしんなさげにはなしていた。
He was talking about his interview result, looking unsure of himself.
How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) 自信がない = to have no confidence → ない is the exception: なさ → 自信なさ → we attach 「げ」 → before a verb, 「げに」 → 話していた (was talking).
Knowledge check (मिनी ज्ञान जाँच)
「彼女は＿げな顔をしていた。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint: What do you drop from an い-adjective?
Drop the 「い」and add 「げ」: 悲しい → 悲しげ. 悲しげな顔 = a sad-looking face.
Which sentence is wrong?
💡 Hint: Remember the irregular form of ない.
ない becomes なさげ (irregular). 「自信ないげ」✗ → 「自信なさげ」○. Likewise よい → よさげ.
Which is closest in meaning to 「さびしげな目」?
💡 Hint: げ = looks that way to the eye.
げ works like そうだ — an impression from looking: さびしげ = さびしそう. 'a little ~' is 気味, 'tends to' is がち, 'pretends' is ふり.
Your score: /3