Alike

by Nao

goto-shi, nyo, jo

When you want to mean something is like another, you can use goto-shi.

This sounds classical but you may hear this expression. A proverb says, “kōin ya no gotoshi.” It means time passes like an arrow. In other words, time flies. Ya is an arrow. Kōin is time. “Kō” means the sun while “in” means the moon.

Nyojitu implies that something appears as it is. “Nyojitsu ni” is clearly. This is not colloquial but you can write “nyojitsu ni arawareru” when you mean something clearly shows its characteristics.

Another reading is jo. Josainai means clever or sharp. Although it comes from josai meaning careless mistake or fault, we usually add the suffix -nai. Nai is the suffix that denies the previous word, so josainai means no mistake or fault.

Totsujo means suddenly. Totsu implies abruptness. Ketsujo means privation. Ketsu implies lack. In these usages, jo seems remaining a grammatical function, which I can’t guess. Jo itself does not mean anything here.

First, draw the left-hand side of the character.

1. Draw the rotated chevron shape from the top.
2. Draw the sweeping stroke heading toward the lower left.
3. Draw the semi-horizontal stroke from the left to the right. Sweep the stroke at the end.
4. Begin to draw the right-hand side of the character. Draw the left side of the rectangle.
5. Draw the upper and right sides of the rectangle.
6. Draw the lower side of the rectangle.