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adjective / verb HSK 4
xiāng sì
similar · to resemble · alike

Meaning

相似 describes things that share common characteristics or features, making them look or seem alike. It emphasizes the similarity between two or more items, concepts, or situations without requiring them to be identical.

Usage

相似 is commonly used in both spoken and written Chinese when comparing things. It can be used as an adjective (相似的) or as a stative verb. Often appears in the pattern '与/跟...相似' (similar to...). More formal than 像 (to be like) but less technical than 类似.

Examples

  1. 01
    这两个方案十分相似，很难做出选择。
    Zhè liǎng ge fāng'àn shí fēn xiāng sì, hěn nán zuò chū xuǎn zé.
    These two plans are very similar, making it difficult to choose.
  2. 02
    你的想法与我的相似。
    Nǐ de xiǎng fǎ yǔ wǒ de xiāng sì.
    Your idea is similar to mine.

Characters

Common collocations

  • 相似之处
    xiāng sì zhī chù
    point of similarity
  • 十分相似
    shí fēn xiāng sì
    very similar
  • 与...相似
    yǔ ... xiāng sì
    similar to...
  • 相似性
    xiāng sì xìng
    similarity

Antonyms

Origin

The character 相 (mutual) combined with 似 (to resemble) creates the meaning of 'mutually resembling' or 'similar to each other.'

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