A + 像 + B + 一样
Reach for this when you want to compare two things and say they're alike in some way — the standard Chinese simile, 'A is like B.' The 像 sets up the comparison and 一样 closes it, framing the resemblance. You can stop there (他像他爸爸一样) or add an adjective or verb afterward to specify what the similarity IS (他像他爸爸一样高 — 'as tall as his dad'). HSK 3 staple, used in description, metaphor, and everyday observation.
Structure
[A] 像 [B] 一样 ([ADJECTIVE / VERB PHRASE])
[A] xiàng [B] yíyàng
How to Think About It
像……一样 is a frame, not a verb. 像 opens the simile and 一样 caps it — together they wrap B as the reference point that A is being measured against. Add an adjective AFTER 一样 to say what dimension they share; leave it off and you're just claiming general resemblance. Without 一样, 像 sounds like 'looks like' (visual only) instead of broad similarity.
Examples
他的眼睛像他爸爸一样大。
Tā de yǎnjing xiàng tā bàba yíyàng dà.
His eyes are as big as his dad's.
她唱歌像专业歌手一样好听。
Tā chànggē xiàng zhuānyè gēshǒu yíyàng hǎotīng.
Her singing sounds as good as a professional singer's.
今天的天气像春天一样暖和。
Jīntiān de tiānqì xiàng chūntiān yíyàng nuǎnhuo.
Today's weather is as warm as spring.
Common Mistake
Learners drop the 一样 because English uses just 'like.' Without 一样, the sentence sounds incomplete or shifts to a vaguer 'looks like' meaning. The pair is what makes the simile feel finished.
她像她妈妈漂亮。
她像她妈妈一样漂亮。
Don't Confuse With
A 跟 / 和 B 一样
Says A and B are equal in some respect ('A is the same as B'). Use it for direct equivalence; use 像……一样 for figurative or descriptive similarity.
A 比 B + Adjective
Comparison of inequality ('A is more X than B'). 像……一样 says they're alike; 比 says they're different.
如同……
Formal written version of 像……一样, more literary. Use 像……一样 in speech; 如同 in essays or poetic writing.
Practice
Fill in the blank: 他 ____ 他哥哥一样高。
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像
Fill in the blank: 她像她妈妈 ____ 喜欢做饭。
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一样
Arrange into a sentence: 一样 / 这 / 像 / 苹果 / 红 / 个 / 那个 / 一样
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这个苹果像那个一样红。
Translate to Chinese: His Chinese is as good as a native speaker's.
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他的中文像母语者一样好。
Use A + 像 + B + 一样 to compare yourself to someone in your family.
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我像我爸爸一样喜欢运动。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode:
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear A + 像 + B + 一样 in real Chinese, not in a textbook.
Fluentide picks the next news episode at your level, so this pattern shows up again and again in real context. The transcript marks it, the audio drills it. Free to start, no card.