～げ— A Look of…

• 子供が寂しげに窓の外を見ていた。

  Kodomo ga sabishige ni mado no soto o mite ita.

  The child was gazing outside the window with a lonely air.

  寂しい → 寂しげ = showing signs of loneliness, used adverbially with に

• 彼は自信ありげに笑った。

  Kare wa jishin arige ni waratta.

  He smiled with an air of confidence.

  ある + げ = looking as if he has (confidence)

• 彼女は何か言いたげな表情をしていた。

  Kanojo wa nanika iitage na hyoujou o shite ita.

  She had a look as if she wanted to say something.

  言う (ます-stem 言い) + たい → 言いたげ = looking like she wants to say

• ・Conjugates as a な-adjective: 寂しげな顔, 寂しげに話す.
• ・Common with emotion words: 悲しげ, 楽しげ, 満足げ, 不安げ.
• ・With たい it becomes ～たげ (言いたげ = looking like wanting to say).

Commonly confused with

The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones ～げ is tested against.

• ～気味 — A Touch Of, -ish
• ～ずじまい — Never Got Around To It
• ～というものだ — That's Truly What It Is
• ～どおり(に) — Just As
• ～として／としては — In the Capacity Of
• ながらに／ながらの — Just As It Is / While Remaining
• にかかわる — To Concern / A Matter Of
• ～まみれ — Covered All Over