Mr. Maru: I'm so glad we saw Governator 2 - Governor's Day. That was a great movie.

Sparky: I think so, too. I like the special effects. They were very George Lucas-ish.

Mr. Maru: Oh, really? I thought they were much better than that.

Sparky: Yeah, I mean they are really good. And Arnold was very robot-esque. I really thought he was a robot.

Mr. Maru: Ahhh, yeah. Yeah very 'robot-esque.'

Sparky: Did you see my bag? I think I forgot it in the theater.

Mr. Maru: What does it look like?

Sparky: It is a red-like orange color. It's really small and round.

Mr. Maru: umm, OK. What color is red-like?

When do you use "-esque", "-ish" or "-like"?

These suffixes are used to talk about things that are similar. They are used in different situations. Let's look at some examples and practice.

How and When to Use "-esque"

The suffix "-esque" means "in the manner or style of" or "resembling." It is from the French suffix that has the same meaning and spelling. Let's look at some examples,

This view is very picturesque. The view is in the style of a picture. It has perfect light and looks like a picture on a wall.

The suffix "-esque" is most often used with proper nouns (George Lucas, Picasso, Beatles, etc..) to describe something that is almost the same in style or manner. For example,

The movie was very Star Wars-esque. It takes place in space. A hero has to fight a giant space station to save people. He escapes.

How and When to Use "-ish"

The suffix "-ish" means "having the characteristics of, belonging to, near or about, similar to." It can change nouns into adjectives. It comes from Greek. Let's look at an example of a "having the characteristics of."

He had a girlish face. His face looked like a girl's face. It had the characteristics of a girl's face.

It can also be used to mean "near or about."

Let's meet at 5:00ish. Let's meet around 5:00.

Or, it can mean "to belong to."

He is British. He is from Britain.

"-ish" v. "-esque" - When do I use "-ish" and when do I use "-esque"?

These suffixes can sometimes be used in the situation, but there is a small difference in meaning. The suffix "-esque" has a good or positive feeling.  The suffix "-ish" has a bad or negative feeling.

The movie was very George Lucas-ish. (It reminded me of a George Lucas, but it wasn't as good.)

The movie was very George Lucas-esque. (It was as good as a George Lucas movie, and it was done in his style.)

How and When to Use "-like"

The suffix "-like" means to "having the characteristics of, showing the behavior of." It is usually used to make common nouns into adjectives. It is usually used to mean that something looks or acts like something else. For example,

The robot was very lifelike. The robot looked alive. It acted and behaved like a living thing.

X The movie was very George Lucas-like. (This means the movie looked like George Lucas the person.)

Suffix Quiz for "-esque", "-ish" and "-like"

1) He walked very robot____. He walked very slowly and not naturally.

A) -esque

B) -ish

C) -like

2) The painting was very Picasso_____. It was abstract and very colorful. I liked it a lot.

A) -esque

B) -ish

C) -like

3) The thief was wearing a brown___ orange jacket and a ball cap.

A) -esque

B) -ish

C) -like

Answers

1. C) robot-like - he walked like a robot.

2. A) Picasso-esque - The painting was made in the same style as Picasso. It is a compliment.

3. B) brownish - The jacket has a little brown in it, but not much.

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