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似 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
似shìresembling, similar to; as if, to seemd, 6 strokes, radical 亻, rank #6971, Hard
似shìto appeard, 6 strokes, radical 亻, rank #6971, Hard
似shìto resembled, 6 strokes, radical 亻, rank #6971, Hard
似shìsimilard, 6 strokes, radical 亻, rank #6971, Hard
似shì-liked, 6 strokes, radical 亻, rank #6971, Hard
似shìpseudo-d, 6 strokes, radical 亻, rank #6971, Hard
似shì(more) thand, 6 strokes, radical 亻, rank #6971, Hard
似shìold variant of 似[sì]d, 6 strokes, radical 亻, rank #6971, Hard
似sìresembling, similar to; as if, to seemd, 6 strokes, radical 亻, rank #6971, Hard
似sìto appeard, 6 strokes, radical 亻, rank #6971, Hard
似sìto resembled, 6 strokes, radical 亻, rank #6971, Hard
似sìsimilard, 6 strokes, radical 亻, rank #6971, Hard
似sì-liked, 6 strokes, radical 亻, rank #6971, Hard
似sìpseudo-d, 6 strokes, radical 亻, rank #6971, Hard
似sì(more) thand, 6 strokes, radical 亻, rank #6971, Hard
似sìold variant of 似[sì]d, 6 strokes, radical 亻, rank #6971, Hard
shì(shi4)
primary
 T4
  1. 1resembling, similar to; as if, to seem
  2. 2to appear
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

似shì(shi4)

The character 似 (shì) conveys the idea of resemblance or similarity. It is often used to indicate that something appears to be like or similar to something else, and can also imply a sense of seeming or appearing in various contexts. It is commonly used in phrases to express comparisons or likeness.

Strokes6Radical亻Frequency#6971DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of similarity can be important in social contexts, such as when discussing family resemblances or comparing traditional practices. The use of 似 often reflects a cultural appreciation for connections and likenesses in relationships.

Memory Tip

Imagine a 'sheep' (sounds like 'shì') that looks just like a dog. This visual helps you remember that 似 means 'to resemble.' The character itself shows a form that suggests similarity, with its components hinting at the idea of likeness.

Meanings of 似

shì(shi4)
primary
1resembling, similar to; as if, to seem
2to appear
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 似

似Simplified
6Strokes
亻Radical
副词fùcíadverb (adv.)Part of Speech
#6971Frequency Rank

Podcast: 似

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Podcast: 似

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AI Study Notes for 似

Quick Contrast

似 (shì) vs 像 (xiàng) — use 似 for a more formal or literary tone, while 像 is more common in casual speech.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 似 (shì) with similar-sounding characters that have different meanings, such as 是 (shì), which means 'to be.' It is often used in both formal and informal contexts, so understanding the nuance of similarity is key. Common collocations include 似乎 (sì hū) meaning 'seemingly' or 'as if.'

HSK Study Tips

While 似 is not an official HSK level word, it connects well with HSK 3 vocabulary focusing on adjectives and comparisons. Learners should pay attention to using it in descriptive sentences to express similarities effectively.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 似 (shì) with 是 (shì) due to their similar pronunciations. For example, saying '他是似我' (Tā shì shì wǒ) instead of '他似我' (Tā shì wǒ) can lead to misunderstanding, as the former suggests identity rather than resemblance.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 似

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Etymology of 似

Formation TypeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 亻 represents the meaning and 以 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

One person 亻 resembles another

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 似

Phonosemantic compound. 亻 represents the meaning and 以 represents the sound.

  1. 1The giveawayOne person 亻 resembles another
  2. 2On the record asideographic — someone drew an idea rather than an object.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 似? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 似?

Decomposition of 似

IDS Structure⿰亻以
似Full Character
=
亻ren2
left
以yi3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 似?

How to say resembling, similar to; as if, to seem in Chinese

“resembling, similar to; as if, to seem” in Chinese is似shì

The character 似 (shì) conveys the idea of resemblance or similarity. It is often used to indicate that something appears to be like or similar to something else, and can also imply a sense of seeming or appearing in various contexts. It is commonly used in phrases to express comparisons or likeness.

When to use 似

Be careful not to confuse 似 (shì) with similar-sounding characters that have different meanings, such as 是 (shì), which means 'to be.' It is often used in both formal and informal contexts, so understanding the nuance of similarity is key. Common collocations include 似乎 (sì hū) meaning 'seemingly' or 'as if.'

似 or something close to it

似 (shì) vs 像 (xiàng) — use 似 for a more formal or literary tone, while 像 is more common in casual speech.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 似 (shì) with 是 (shì) due to their similar pronunciations. For example, saying '他是似我' (Tā shì shì wǒ) instead of '他似我' (Tā shì wǒ) can lead to misunderstanding, as the former suggests identity rather than resemblance.

Write 似

似

Practice writing 似 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 似

似 functions as an adverb — it modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. In Chinese, adverbs sit BEFORE the verb they modify (我也去, 他常常迟到), never after it. It carries 8 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Related grammar lessons4
Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

她____乎对自己的表现很不满意。

She seems quite dissatisfied with her own performance.

Common Confusions with 似

是 indicates identity or existence, while 似 indicates similarity or resemblance.

1

他是老师 (He is a teacher) vs. 他似老师 (He seems like a teacher)

是 indicates identity or existence, while 似 indicates similarity or resemblance.

💡Similar sounds but different meanings: 似 (similar) vs 是 (is)

Example Sentences for 似 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
类似劳埃德保险公司的那些丑闻令伦敦名声扫地。

lèi sì láo āi dé bǎo xiǎn gōng sī de nà xiē chǒu wén líng lún dūn míng shēng sǎo dì。

The City's reputation has been sullied by scandals like those at Lloyd's.
2
就好像是你的意见、你的好恶根本不重要似的。

jiù hǎo xiàng shì nǐ de yì jiàn、 、 nǐ de hǎo è gēn běn bù zhòng yào sì。

It's as if your opinions, your likes and dislikes just don't count.
3
我知道我向你提出这个问题似乎很不可理喻。

wǒ zhī dào wǒ xiàng nǐ tí chū zhè gè wèn tí sì hū hěn bù kě lǐ yù。

I know this sounds a crazy thing for me to ask you.
4
你为什么做每件事情都跟你非要赢似的？

nǐ wéi shí mó zuò měi jiàn shì qíng dū gēn nǐ fēi yào yíng sì de？

Why must you do everything as if you have to win?
5
他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

tā mén de wò shǒu sì hū shì hé jiě de biǎo shì。

Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.
6
现在看来似乎悲观论者是正确的。

xiàn zài kàn lái sì hū bēi guān lùn zhě shì zhèng què de。

It looks as if the pessimists are being proved right.
7
他们发现了一处迷宫似的地道。

tā mén fā xiàn le yī chǔ mí gōng sì de dì dào。

They found a labyrinth of tunnels under the ground.
8
公司对待我的态度就好像是我上班时溜号了似的。

gōng sī duì dài wǒ de tài dù jiù hǎo xiàng shì wǒ shàng bān shí liū hào le sì de。

The company treated me as though I were skiving.
9
精心搭配的室内装饰似乎已不再受欢迎了。

jīng xīn dā pèi de shì nèi zhuāng shì sì hū yǐ bù zài shòu huān yíng le。

Interior decoration by careful coordination seems to have had its day.
10
军队现在似乎已经发起了反攻。

jūn duì xiàn zài sì hū yǐ jīng fā qǐ le fǎn gōng。

The army now appears to have launched a counter-offensive.

Word Family of 似

Compounds1
娰
Words Containing This Character20
似乎sìhūapparently
似的shìdeseems as if
类似lèisìsimilar類似
似shìto seem
相似xiāngsìto resemble
貌似to appear to be
好似hǎosìto seem
近似similar
似曾相识sìcéngxiāngshíseemingly familiar似曾相識
看似kànsìto seem
疑似deceptive
酷似kùsìto strikingly resemble
神似similar in expression and spirit
形似similar in shape and appearance
相似性resemblance
似是而非sìshìérfēiapparently right but actually wrong; specious (idiom)
如饥似渴to long for sth如飢似渴
恰似just like
柔情似水tender and soft as water
似笑非笑like a smile yet not a smile (idiom)
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 似乎 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 似

While both 似 (shì, sì) and 像 (xiàng) can mean 'to resemble,' 似 tends to imply a more abstract resemblance, while 像 is often used for more direct comparisons. For example, 像 can be used to describe physical likeness.

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