About
The character "如" is structured from the components for "woman" (女) and "mouth" (口), a composition that originally conveyed the idea of following instructions or complying, as suggested by the notion of a woman obediently responding to spoken commands. This early sense of compliance or accordance naturally extended into meanings of resemblance and comparison, giving rise to its common use meaning "like" or "as if". Over time, its semantic range further broadened to function as a grammatical particle introducing conditions, equivalent to "if" in English, while still retaining its core conceptual link to things being in a state of agreement or likeness with one another.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
如果天气好，我们就出去玩。
我不知道如何回答这个问题。
我喜欢水果，例如苹果和香蕉。
这部电影不如那部好看。
这里的风景如此美丽。
正如我们所料，他成功了。
假如我有时间，我会帮助你。
她的笑容如阳光一般温暖。