Whats the difference between meaning and connotation of the different parts of まるで。。。かのように


Lately I have come across two new “Grammar structures.” (I struggle to call
them grammar because they are just phrases, but whatever.)

> まるで。。。ように and かのように.

I understand they can both work together, but what’s the difference between
each of them. For example comparing:

> 彼はまるで天才のように俺たちを見下げた,
>
> 彼は天才であるかのように俺たちを見下げた; And
>
> 彼は天才のように俺たちを見下げた.

I take it that まるで and かの add an aspect of ‘just’ like something. But does
each of these just add emphasis or am I missing something majorly?

And to sum it up I guess what is the connotation if it is all together:

> 彼はまるで天才であるかのように俺たちを見下げた。




**まるで**

[code]

    １ 違いがわからないほどあるものやある状態に類似しているさま。あたかも。さながら。「この惨状は丸で地獄だ」「丸で夢のよう」
    
[/code]

(From <https://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/jn/210069/meaning/m0u/>)

The definition says that it is used when we want to emphasize the fact that
two things look so much alike that you can't see the difference.

Now I personally like to look at the root of the words when learning them, so
I learned to see まるで like something that includes the thing it refers to as a
whole because of the meaning of 丸 (round shape, circle). So I'd usually
translate it by something like "complete(ly)" (I'm not a translator though)
which I think carries more or less the same meaning.

> 丸で地獄だ : It is complete hell

When added to (か)のように I feel like it adds the same nuance of taking what
follows as a whole and although sometimes it sounds more natural not to
translate it, I would still see it as "complete(ly)".

**のように**

I assume you learned this grammar so I am not going to go too much into it,
but 様 carries the meanings "way, appearance" so if you want to see it in a
literal way you can translate it in your head as "in a way/appearance of..."

**か**

か is, to me, a particle that shows uncertainty. In the case of かのように, I feel
like the か is what gives the expression this meaning of "as if" (something
that is thought to be unreal).

To sum it up, this is how I would translate (literally) the expressions in
your sentences:

> まるで天才のように : In a way of completely a genius (like he's a complete genius)
>
> 天才であるかのように : In a way as if he is a genius (as if he were a genius)
>
> 天才のように : In a way of a genius (like he's a genius)
>
> まるで天才であるかのように : In a way as if he is a complete genius (as if he were a
> complete genius)

This is how I make the distinction.




**まるで**

[code]

    １ 違いがわからないほどあるものやある状態に類似しているさま。あたかも。さながら。「この惨状は丸で地獄だ」「丸で夢のよう」
    
[/code]

(From <https://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/jn/210069/meaning/m0u/>)

The definition says that it is used when we want to emphasize the fact that
two things look so much alike that you can't see the difference.

Now I personally like to look at the root of the words when learning them, so
I learned to see まるで like something that includes the thing it refers to as a
whole because of the meaning of 丸 (round shape, circle). So I'd usually
translate it by something like "complete(ly)" (I'm not a translator though)
which I think carries more or less the same meaning.

> 丸で地獄だ : It is complete hell

When added to (か)のように I feel like it adds the same nuance of taking what
follows as a whole and although sometimes it sounds more natural not to
translate it, I would still see it as "complete(ly)".

**のように**

I assume you learned this grammar so I am not going to go too much into it,
but 様 carries the meanings "way, appearance" so if you want to see it in a
literal way you can translate it in your head as "in a way/appearance of..."

**か**

か is, to me, a particle that shows uncertainty. In the case of かのように, I feel
like the か is what gives the expression this meaning of "as if" (something
that is thought to be unreal).

To sum it up, this is how I would translate (literally) the expressions in
your sentences:

> まるで天才のように : In a way of completely a genius (like he's a complete genius)
>
> 天才であるかのように : In a way as if he is a genius (as if he were a genius)
>
> 天才のように : In a way of a genius (like he's a genius)
>
> まるで天才であるかのように : In a way as if he is a complete genius (as if he were a
> complete genius)

This is how I make the distinction.

