87098
What is the difference between 様（さま）様（よう）in the case of describing the
apperance of something? When is one prefered over the other?

Normally this isn't an issue as よう tends to be written in kana but sometimes
it isn't like in この素晴らしい世界に祝福を where the author writes almost all ように and ようだ
as 様に and 様だ.

I've always read 様 as よう unless it was attached to a name, but now I am kinda
scared I having been reading it wrong a lot of the time. In the dictionary
they both have a definition saying ありさま and 様子 so what is the difference? Are
they completely interchangable? Thanks.
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2021-06-17T21:39:55.940
87096
2021-06-20T00:08:49.943
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question
readings
様 being read as よう and さま to describe apperance
[様]{よう} and [様]{さま} are not interchangeable, but this has more to do with
their forms than their meanings.

Although, technically speaking, the よう of ようだ may be also considered a noun,
the ようだ construction works like a な-adjective (形容動詞) and thus takes such forms
as ような and ように. While [様]{さま} is also always modified by something, it’s more
_normal_ as a noun and its noun-modifying form is [様]{さま}の, not [様]{さま}な. In
that sense, it’s more a synonym of 様子 than of [様]{よう}.

When [様]{よう} forms a normal noun, as opposed to when it is used as part of
ようだ, it takes the ます-stem (連用形) of a verb, as in 喜び[様]{よう}, はしゃぎ[様]{よう}, etc.
Even in these cases, it is usually written in hiragana. With [様]{さま}, it would
be 喜ぶ[様]{さま}, はしゃぐ[様]{さま}, etc., which are practically interchangeable with
喜ぶ様子, はしゃぐ様子, etc. I would say [様]{さま} sounds a bit literary.

Some ambiguity arises when the character 様 is preceded by an adjective or a
noun followed by の, as in 上品な様. However, not being a normal noun, [様]{よう}
wouldn’t take such particles as が, を, で, etc. If it happens to be followed by
で, that で must be part of the copula です.

I would say it's always a good practice to use hiragana when it's meant for
[様]{よう}.

Lastly, add a negative connotation to [様]{さま}, and you get ざま. This is almost
always written in hiragana, or even in katakana.

* * *

[EDIT]

There are a few expressions in which 様 is preceded by the ます-stem (連用形) of a
verb and pronounced ざま, such as 生き[様]{ざま} and すれ違い[様]{ざま}. While 生き[様]{ざま}
does mean 生きる[様]{さま}, すれ違い[様]{ざま} is not the same as すれ違う[様]{さま}. The former
refers to the moment at which one does the act of すれ違う, not any apperance.
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2021-06-18T00:48:36.683
87098
2021-06-20T00:08:49.943
2021-06-20T00:08:49.943
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answer