Subject + 像 + Object + 一样
Reach for this when you want to say one thing IS LIKE another — same shape, same way, same effect. It is the everyday 'just like…' comparison. The thing being compared sits before 像; the model or yardstick sits between 像 and 一样. You can stop there ('he is like his father'), or you can add a verb or adjective afterward to specify the resemblance ('he runs like his father').
Structure
[SUBJECT] 像 [OBJECT] 一样 ([VERB/ADJECTIVE])。
xiàng... yīyàng
How to Think About It
像...一样 is a sandwich: 像 opens the comparison, 一样 closes it, and the noun in the middle is the standard the subject is being measured against. Without 一样 the sentence still works for 'resembles,' but adding 一样 sharpens the meaning to 'in the same way as.' If you want to extend with HOW they are alike, put the adjective or verb AFTER 一样, never before.
Examples
他像他爸爸一样高。
Tā xiàng tā bàba yīyàng gāo.
He is as tall as his dad.
这只猫像老虎一样勇敢。
Zhè zhī māo xiàng lǎohǔ yīyàng yǒnggǎn.
This cat is as brave as a tiger.
她像妈妈一样喜欢唱歌。
Tā xiàng māma yīyàng xǐhuan chànggē.
She loves singing, just like her mom.
Common Mistake
Learners drop 一样 or place the adjective between 像 and the object. The fixed slot for adjectives/verbs is AFTER 一样.
他像爸爸高一样。
他像爸爸一样高。
Don't Confuse With
比 + Object + Adjective
比 ranks one thing ABOVE another (A is more X than B). 像...一样 says they are similar or the same, not different.
好像 + ...
好像 means 'it seems / it's as if' — used for impressions or guesses. 像...一样 makes a definite likeness comparison.
跟/和 + Object + 一样
跟...一样 emphasizes that two things are EQUAL on some measure. 像...一样 stresses that one thing RESEMBLES another, often metaphorically.
Practice
Fill in the blank: 弟弟 ___ 哥哥一样喜欢踢足球。
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像
Fill in the blank: 这件衣服像新的 ___。
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一样
Arrange into a sentence: 一样 / 像 / 漂亮 / 妈妈 / 她
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她像妈妈一样漂亮。
Translate to Chinese: He works like a machine.
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他像机器一样工作。
Write a sentence comparing yourself or someone you know to someone else using 像…一样.
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我妹妹像爸爸一样喜欢做菜。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode: