様

See also: 樣 and 样

Translingual

Traditional	樣
Shinjitai	様
Simplified	样

Glyph origin

Japanese shinjitai Simplified from 樣 (羕 → 𣴎); compare bottom of 暴.

Right component is approximately 𦍌 + 氺.

Han character

様 (Kangxi radical 75, 木+10, 14 strokes, cangjie input 木廿土水 (DTGE) or 難木廿土水 (XDTGE), composition ⿰木𣴎)

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: not present, would follow page 546, character 25
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 15352
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): not present, would follow volume 2, page 1284, character 6
• Unihan data for U+69D8

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Chinese

Etymology 1

For pronunciation and definitions of 様 – see 樣 (“appearance; form; shape; look; expression; air; etc.”). (This character is a variant form of 樣).

Etymology 2

For pronunciation and definitions of 様 – see 橡 (“Acorn.; A tree in the genus.”). (This character is a variant form of 橡).

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Japanese

Shinjitai	様
Kyūjitai	樣

Kanji

様

(grade 3 “Kyōiku” kanji, shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai form 樣)

1. certain form or way
2. condition, state
3. design, pattern
4. indicates humbleness or politeness

Readings

• Go-on: よう (yō, Jōyō)^{←やう (yau, historical)}
• Kan-on: よう (yō, Jōyō)^{←やう (yau, historical)}
• Kun: さま (sama, 様, Jōyō)

As variant kanji of 橡:

• Go-on: ぞう (zō)^{←ざう (zau, historical)}
• Kan-on: しょう (shō)^{←しやう (syau, historical)}
• Kun: くぬぎ (kunugi, 様); とち (tochi, 様)

Usage notes

When written in 草体 (sōtai, “highly-cursive”) style, this kanji form is called 平様 (hira-zama, literally “common form”) to distinguish from the kyūjitai form 永様 (ei-sama, literally “永-form”), and its variant froms 次様 (tsugi-zama, for 檨, literally “次-form”) and 美様 (bi-zama, for 𣖙, literally “美-form”).

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
様
よう Grade: 3
on’yomi

Alternative spelling
樣 (kyūjitai)

/jɨau/ → /jɔː/ → /joː/

From Middle Chinese 樣 (MC *jɨɐŋ^H).

Noun

1. way, style, appearance

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 様(よう)式(しき) (yōshiki)
• 様(よう)子(す) (yōsu)
• 様(よう)相(そう) (yōsō)
• 様(よう)態(たい) (yōtai)
• 模(も)様(よう) (moyō)

Adjective

1. be like, look like, seem like, as if, having the likeness of

   まるで夢(ゆめ)を見(み)ている様(よう)だ。

   Maru de yume o mite iru yō da.

   It felt as if I were dreaming.

   あの野(や)郎(ろう)の筋(きん)肉(にく)はアーノルド・シュワルツェネッガーのようね

   Ano yarō no kinniku wa Ānorudo Shuwarutseneggā no yō ne

   That dude's muscles are like Arnold Schwarzenegger

   火(ひ)のついた蝶(ちょう)のようにひとときだけ輝(かがや)き

   Hi no tsuita chō no yōni hitotoki dake kagayaki

   Briefly radiate like a butterfly attracted to fire

2. (as 様に (yō ni)) I hope; I pray; may

   成(せい)功(こう)しますように。

   Seikō shimasu yō ni.

   I wish [myself/you] success.

Inflection

Inflection of 様

Stem forms
Imperfective (未然形)	様だろ	ようだろ	yō daro
Continuative (連用形)	様で	ようで	yō de
Terminal (終止形)	様だ	ようだ	yō da
Attributive (連体形)	様な	ような	yō na
Hypothetical (仮定形)	様なら	ようなら	yō nara
Imperative (命令形)	様であれ	ようであれ	yō de are
Key constructions
Informal negative	様ではない 様じゃない	ようではない ようじゃない	yō de wa nai yō ja nai
Informal past	様だった	ようだった	yō datta
Informal negative past	様ではなかった 様じゃなかった	ようではなかった ようじゃなかった	yō de wa nakatta yō ja nakatta
Formal	様です	ようです	yō desu
Formal negative	様ではありません 様じゃありません	ようではありません ようじゃありません	yō de wa arimasen yō ja arimasen
Formal past	様でした	ようでした	yō deshita
Formal negative past	様ではありませんでした 様じゃありませんでした	ようではありませんでした ようじゃありませんでした	yō de wa arimasen deshita yō ja arimasen deshita
Conjunctive	様で	ようで	yō de
Conditional	様なら（ば）	ようなら（ば）	yō nara (ba)
Provisional	様だったら	ようだったら	yō dattara
Volitional	様だろう	ようだろう	yō darō
Adverbial	様に	ように	yō ni
Degree	様さ	ようさ	yōsa

Usage notes

• In contemporary Japanese, this term is often written in hiragana.
• Traditional Japanese grammar analyzes this term as a 助動詞 (jodōshi, “auxiliary verb”), ようだ (yō da), from the noun 様 (yō) and the auxiliary verb だ.

Synonyms

• みたい (mitai)
• らしい (rashī)
• っぽい (ppoi)

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 様(よう)々(よう), 様(よう)様(よう) (yōyō)
• ようだ (yō da)
• 異(い)様(よう) (iyō)
• 如(い)何(か)様(よう) (ikayō)
• 一(いち)様(よう) (ichiyō)
• 今(いま)様(よう) (imayō)
• 大(おお)様(よう) (ōyō)
• 各(かく)様(よう) (kakuyō)
• 唐(から)様(よう) (karayō)
• 異(こと)様(よう) (kotoyō)
• 左(さ)様(よう), 然(さ)様(よう) (sayō)
• 多(た)様(よう) (tayō)
• 体(たい)様(よう), 態(たい)様(よう) (taiyō)
• 同(どう)様(よう) (dōyō)
• 何(なに)様(よう) (naniyō)
• 一(ひと)様(よう) (hitoyō)
• 文(もん)様(よう) (mon'yō)
• 和(わ)様(よう) (wayō)

Proper noun

1. a female given name

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
様
さま Grade: 3
kun’yomi

Alternative spelling
樣 (kyūjitai)

For pronunciation and definitions of 様 – see the following entry.

【さま】 [noun] a person's appearance (as of body, or style, or face, etc.) [noun] the state or situation of a thing [noun] the general trend, tenor, or feel of a thing [noun] one's social station, status, or quality [noun] the way or means of doing something, how one does something [noun] the reason or circumstances for something [pronoun] (archaic, honorific) second-person pronoun: you, you all [pronoun] (archaic, honorific) third-person distal pronoun: he, she, they (distant from both speaker and listener) [suffix] (honorific) polite personal suffix: honorable, Mr., Ms. [suffix] (honorific) attaching to nouns or other nominals: a politeness marker that often has no direct translation, replacing copula です (​desu) [suffix] attaching to specific nouns or other nominals: that way, that direction [suffix] (archaic) attaching to verbs: just as (indicating the specific time when the verb is happening) [suffix] attaching to verbs: the way of doing something, how one does something (often undergoes rendaku, changing -sama to -zama) Alternative spellings 方, 状

(This term, 様, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
様
さま > ざま Grade: 3
kun’yomi

Alternative spelling
樣 (kyūjitai)

For pronunciation and definitions of 様 – see the following entry.

【ざま】 [noun] (informal) pathetic appearance Alternative spelling 態

(This term, 様, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

Etymology 4

Kanji in this term
様
ちゃま Grade: 3
irregular

Alternative spelling
樣 (kyūjitai)

For pronunciation and definitions of 様 – see the following entry.

【ちゃま】 [suffix] (childish) honorific suffix: Synonym of 様 (-sama)

(This term, 様, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)