Korean

Alternative forms

• 듯 (deut)

Noun

듯이 • ‎(deusi)

1. (dependent) as if; in a manner suggesting that

   아이는 뜻밖의 선물에 뛸 듯이 기뻐했다.‎

   Aineun tteutbakkui seonmure ttwil deusi gippeohaetda.

   The kid nearly jumped for joy at the unexpected present.

   동지 섣달 꽃 본 듯이 날 좀 보소.‎

   Dongji seotdal kkot bon deusi nal jom boso.

   Look at me, as if you saw a flower in midwinter.

   ^[1]

Usage notes

The dependent noun 듯이 (deusi) is used along with adjectival suffixes ㄴ (n), ㄹ (l) and 는 (neun).

Etymology 2

First attested in the Worin seokbo (月印釋譜 / 월인석보), 1459, as 디시 (Yale: tisi).

Suffix

듯이 • ‎(deusi)

1. as, like, in the same way that

   구름에 달 가듯이 / 가는 나그네‎ ― gureume dal gadeusi / ganeun nageune ― The wayfarer goes like the moon passing the clouds.^[2]

Usage notes

The suffix 듯이 (deusi) is directly appended to the stem of a verb, an adjective, or 이다 (ida, “to be”), and if the stem ends in the consonant ㄹ (l), it does not drop out.

References

1. ↑ from the old folk song Miryang Arirang.
2. ↑ excerpt from Wayfarer, Park Mok-wol