JLPT N1 grammar
〜めく — Meaning & Examples
"Seem X-ish / take on the air of X" — attaches to nouns, conjugates as a Group 1 verb. 春めいてきた (starting to feel like spring); 皮肉めいた言い方 (sarcastic-sounding).
〜めく — "Seem X-ish / Take On the Air of X"
めく attaches directly to a noun to form a verb meaning "to take on the characteristics of X, to seem X-ish."
Pattern: [noun] + めく
三月に入り、少しずつ春めいてきた。
= Now that it's March, it's gradually starting to feel like spring.
彼の言い方はどこか皮肉めいていた。
= There was something sarcastic-sounding about the way he said it.
その話はなぞめいていて、誰も真相を知らない。
= The story has a mysterious air to it, and nobody knows the truth.
Common combinations to memorise: 春めく（feel springlike）・皮肉めく（sound sarcastic）・なぞめく（seem mysterious）・冗談めく（sound like a joke）.
Conjugation note: めく is a regular Group 1 verb once attached (めく／めいた／めいている) — 春めいてきた uses the て-form + くる, "gradually becoming."
Key feeling: A quiet shift in atmosphere — something is starting to resemble X, without fully being X.
Practice questions
Try these 2 questions on 〜めく. Pick an answer in your head, then open “Show answer”.
1. 「三月に入り、少しずつ春めいてきた。」 means?
- It suddenly became winter
- Now that it's March, it's gradually starting to feel like spring
- Spring has fully arrived with no gradual change
- March never changes the weather
Show answer
Answer: Now that it's March, it's gradually starting to feel like spring
めく = seem X-ish / take on the air of X. 春めいてきた = gradually becoming spring-like — the て-form + くる shows a gradual shift.
2. Which fixed combination means "sound sarcastic"?
- 春めく (haru meku)
- なぞめく (nazo meku)
- 皮肉めく (hiniku meku)
- 冗談めく (joudan meku)
Show answer
Answer: 皮肉めく (hiniku meku)
皮肉めいていた = sounded sarcastic-ish — めく attaches to nouns like 皮肉 (sarcasm) to describe something taking on that quality.
Practise 〜めく in the free app
This point is part of the “Tendency, Seeming & In Passing — きらいがある・めく・がてら・ながら(に)して” lesson in A Star Japanese. Study it with examples, a quiz, flashcards and timed JLPT N1 mock exams. Free on iPhone and Android.
Free on iPhone and Android · No ads
Related N1 grammar points
From the same lesson: Tendency, Seeming & In Passing — きらいがある・めく・がてら・ながら(に)して
Frequently asked questions
What does 〜めく mean?
"Seem X-ish / take on the air of X" — attaches to nouns, conjugates as a Group 1 verb. 春めいてきた (starting to feel like spring); 皮肉めいた言い方 (sarcastic-sounding).
Is 〜めく on the JLPT N1 test?
〜めく is taught in the JLPT N1 grammar course in A Star Japanese (lesson “Tendency, Seeming & In Passing — きらいがある・めく・がてら・ながら(に)して”), so it is a pattern learners at this level are expected to recognise. The JLPT does not publish an official grammar list, so treat this as a study guide rather than an official requirement.
How can I practise 〜めく?
Open the “Tendency, Seeming & In Passing — きらいがある・めく・がてら・ながら(に)して” lesson in the free A Star Japanese app for iPhone and Android. It has examples, a quiz after every lesson, flashcards with spaced repetition and timed JLPT N1 mock exams, with no ads.