JLPT N1 grammar

〜めくmeaning and usage

Meaning

To show signs of A; to give the appearance of A

How to form it

  • nounめく
  • nounめいたnoun
  • nounめいてくる

How it is used

After a noun: 'has a touch of A' without fully being A, as in 「春めく」 and 「謎めいた」. It conjugates as a godan verb; before a noun it is usually 「めいた」. It takes a limited set of nouns and is more literary than 「っぽい」.

Examples

  1. 彼女は皮肉めいた言い方をした。

    She spoke in a sarcastic way.

  2. 十月も半ばを過ぎて、朝晩の風がすっかり秋めいてきた。

    Now that we're past mid-October, the morning and evening breeze feels quite autumnal.

  3. この小説は、謎めいた手紙が一通届く場面から始まる。

    The novel opens with a mysterious letter arriving.