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:
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear Subject + 像 + Object 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.