The Chinese word **犹如 (yóurú)**, meaning "just like" or "as if," is a **compound word formed by combining two near-synonymous characters**, a common method in Chinese vocabulary building. The first character, **犹 (yóu)**, carries the core meaning of "similar to" or "resembling," while the second, **如 (rú)**, is a fundamental word for "like" or "as." When paired, they create a reinforced and slightly more literary synonym for comparison, where the duplication intensifies the sense of likeness, resulting in a term that is more formal and emphatic than using either character alone, often used in written or descriptive contexts.