Definitions

sì, shì (verb,adjective) to seem; to appear; to resemble; similar; -like

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

About

The character 似, which primarily conveys the meaning "to resemble" or "to be similar to", originates from a semantic-phonetic composition. Its traditional form is identical, structured with the person radical 亻on the left, indicating a human-related concept, and the component 以 on the right, which historically functioned as the phonetic element and also carried its own semantic weight of "to use" or "to take". This combination originally produced a sense of giving something a form or appearance, leading to meanings related to imitation and likeness. Over time, its core meaning solidified around resemblance, while its older, more verbal sense of "to give" or "to present" became archaic and fell out of common use, leaving the concept of similarity as its dominant function.

Example Sentences Hide

乎很忙。

Tā sìhū hěn máng.

He seems very busy.

这花玫瑰。

Zhè huā sì méiguī.

This flower is like a rose.

她笑得孩子。

Tā xiào de sì háizi.

She laughs like a child.

天空蓝色的海洋。

Tiānkōng sì lán sè de hǎiyáng.

The sky is like a blue ocean.

这个问题乎很难解决。

Zhège wèntí sìhū hěn nán jiějué.

This problem seems very difficult to solve.

他们的观点相之处很多。

Tāmen de guāndiǎn xiāngsì zhī chù hěn duō.

There are many similarities in their viewpoints.

这种材料金属但更轻。

Zhè zhǒng cáiliào sì jīnshǔ dàn gèng qīng.

This material is like metal but lighter.

他说话的速度赛车般飞快。

Tā shuōhuà de sùdù sì sàichē bān fēikuài.

His speaking speed is as fast as a racing car.