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好像

hǎo xiàng
HSK 2.0 Level 4 HSK 3.0 Level 3 Verb Very common

Definitions

  1. 1. as if
  2. 2. to seem like

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Word relationships

Related words

1 item
看起来
kàn qǐ lai

seemingly

used to express 'it looks like', similar to 好像 in some contexts

Synonyms

2 items
仿佛
fǎng fú

to seem

literary equivalent for 'as if', 'to seem'
似乎
sì hū

it seems; seemingly; as if

slightly more formal, used in written contexts

Usage notes

Collocations

Often used with 是 to form 好像是...的样子, meaning 'it seems that'.

Common mistakes

Do not use 好像 before a noun to mean 'like'; use 像 instead. E.g., 她像她妈妈, not 她好像她妈妈.

Grammar

Guides that feature 好像

Jump into a full guide with fill-in-the-blank drills. Clicking will load the page and move you to the top.

4 guides
HSK 2.0 Level 4+ HSK 3.0 Level 3+ 6 min
看起来 and 看上去 for “It Looks …”

Say how someone or something looks, and what you guess from it, with 看起来 and 看上去.

Reading: hǎo xiàng Open guide
HSK 2.0 Level 3+ HSK 3.0 Level 3+ 7 min
Adverbs 大概, 好像, 一定, 必须, 差不多, 几乎

Show how sure you are with 好像, 大概 and 一定, say what must happen with 必须, and say “almost” with 差不多 and 几乎.

Reading: hǎo xiàng Open guide
HSK 2.0 Level 5+ HSK 3.0 Level 5+ 6 min
Modal Adverbs 似乎 and 仿佛

Make a careful guess with 似乎 (“it seems”) and describe what something feels like with 仿佛 (“as if”), and know when plain 好像 is better.

Reading: hǎo xiàng Open guide
HSK 2.0 Level 5+ HSK 3.0 Level 5+ 6 min
像……似的 for “As If” and “Like”

Use 像……似的 to say what something looks or seems like, as in 像没听见似的 “as if he hadn’t heard”.

Reading: hǎo xiàng Open guide

Example Sentences

5 shown
天 好像 要下雨了。
It looks like it's going to rain.
他最近 好像 有心事。
He seems to have something on his mind lately.
他在街上左顾右盼， 好像 在找什么人。
He was looking all around on the street, as if searching for someone.
月色朦胧，湖面 好像 披上了轻纱。
The moonlight was hazy, as if the lake was covered with a light veil.
他总是不开心， 好像 有什么心病。
He is always unhappy, as if he has some secret worry.

AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Child Words of 好像

像
xiàng

to resemble

好
hǎo

good

好
hào

to be fond of; to have a tendency to; to be prone to