Subject + 像 + Object
Reach for this when you want to compare two things by saying one resembles the other — 'A looks like B,' 'A is like B.' The basic Chinese simile. Use it for physical resemblance ('she looks like her mom'), abstract similarity ('Hong Kong is like a bridge'), or rough analogies ('this problem is like a puzzle'). Neutral, everyday register — works in casual speech, songs, news, and writing.
Structure
Subject + 像 + Object + (一样)
xiàng
How to Think About It
像 is the comparison verb — it does all the work English splits between 'like,' 'resembles,' and 'looks like.' No 是 needed before it. Add 一样 at the end ('just like') for stronger emphasis: 他像他爸爸 vs 他像他爸爸一样. Without 一样 the comparison is loose ('similar to'); with it the comparison is tight ('exactly like').
Examples
她像她妈妈。
Tā xiàng tā māma.
She looks like her mom.
这个孩子像个小大人。
Zhège háizi xiàng gè xiǎo dàrén.
This kid is like a little adult.
今天的天气像春天一样。
Jīntiān de tiānqì xiàng chūntiān yīyàng.
Today's weather is just like spring.
Common Mistake
Learners insert 是 before 像 because English uses 'is like.' 像 is already a verb — adding 是 is doubling up. The pattern is just Subject + 像 + Object.
她是像一个明星。
她像一个明星。
Don't Confuse With
好像...
Means 'seems like / it appears.' Adds uncertainty. 像 alone makes a confident comparison; 好像 hedges.
Subject + 是 + Object
Pure identity statement ('A is B'). 像 says A RESEMBLES B without claiming they're the same thing.
跟...一样
'The same as X.' Stronger than 像 — claims equivalence in a specific aspect. 像 leaves more room for partial resemblance.
Practice
Fill in: 他____他爸爸。 (resembles)
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像
Fill in: 这朵云像一只____。
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猫
Arrange: 一样 / 像 / 春天 / 今天 / 一样 / 暖和
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今天像春天一样暖和。
Translate to Chinese: This city is like a big village.
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这个城市像一个大村子。
Use 像 to compare a person or place to something else.
Show answer
我的中文老师像我的朋友。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 2 Fluentide episodes: