<p>&quot;as...as&quot; is comparing two comparable objects:</p>
<p>&quot;you are <strong>as</strong> tall <strong>as</strong> a tree&quot; - 你&quot;<strong>如/就像</strong>&quot;(as)樹&quot;<strong>一般</strong>&quot;(as)高</p>
<p>&quot;she is <strong>as</strong> smart <strong>as</strong> him&quot; - 她&quot;<strong>如/就像</strong>&quot;(as)他&quot;<strong>一樣</strong>&quot;(as)聰明</p>
<p>&quot;like&quot; is &quot;similar to&quot;:</p>
<p>&quot;you are <strong>like</strong> a monkey in many ways&quot; - 在很多方面(in many ways)你&quot;就像/如同&quot;(like)一隻猴子.</p>
<p>&quot;Watchful <strong>like</strong> a hunter&quot; - 警惕的&quot;如/像/如同&quot;(like)一個獵人.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-10-31T18:33:48.293Z
2022-10-31T18:33:48.293Z
r13
<p>一朵血红的玫瑰 Rabby Bairns</p>
<p>哦，我的爱人就像一朵红玫瑰<br />
O my Luve is like a red, red rose<br />
这是六月新出现的；<br />
That’s newly sprung in June;<br />
哦，我的爱人就像旋律<br />
O my Luve is like the melody<br />
这首曲子弹得很好。<br />
That’s sweetly played in tune.</p>
<p>You're as tall as your father.<br />
你和你父亲一样高。</p>
<p>The water was as smooth as glass.<br />
水平如镜。</p>
<p>Unfettered by the axioms of Western Grammar, Chinese can dispense with is, was and as:</p>
<p>My hands are as cold as ice.<br />
我双手冰冷。</p>
<p>Her skin was as white as snow.<br />
她的皮肤雪白。</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-11-01T05:09:17.757Z
I mean, the "unfettered by the axioms of Western Grammar" part at the end seems overblown. "Ice-cold hands" and "snow-white skin" are just as grammatical and idiomatic in English.
Stumpy Joe Pete
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-11-01T05:35:06.770Z
Maybe he meant Germanic grammar? He did not say English grammar? :)
Wayne Cheah
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-11-01T06:40:22.300Z
Would you really only say: "My two ice-cold hands." or "Her snow-white skin." ?? Does that not seem a tad unfinished to you? English is Germanic!
Pedroski
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-10-31T23:35:43.833Z
2022-10-31T23:35:43.833Z
Pedroski
<ol>
<li><p>[adj] 如 [n] / 其 [adj] 如 [n] (more idiomatic, usually contains four characters)</p>
</li>
<li><p>有如 [n] 般 [adj] / 如 [n] 般 [adj]  (more literary)</p>
</li>
<li><p>跟 [n] 一般 [adj] / 像 [n] 一樣 [adj] (more colloquial)</p>
</li>
<li><p>[adj] 得跟 [n] 一般 / [adj] 得像 [n] 一樣 (even more colloquial)</p>
</li>
</ol>
<p>Example:</p>
<p>1a. 蠢如豬牛 - stupid like a pig or a cow</p>
<p>1b. 兇狠如狼 - vicious like a wolf</p>
<p>(蠢如豬，狠如狼 is more classical)</p>
<p>1c. 其蠢如豬 - stupidness like a pig's</p>
<p>1d. 其狠如狼 - viciousness like a wolf's</p>
<p>2a. 如豬牛般愚蠢 - as stupid as a pig or a cow</p>
<p>2b. 如豺狼般兇狠 - as vicious as a wolf</p>
<p>3a. 跟豬牛一般愚蠢 - as stupid as a pig or a cow</p>
<p>3b. 像豺狼一樣兇狠 - vicious like a wolf</p>
<p>4a. 愚蠢得跟豬牛一般 (so foolish that it is like a pig or a cow)</p>
<p>4b. 兇狠得像豺狼一樣 (so vicious that it is like a wolf)</p>
<p>Another example:</p>
<p>艷<strong>如</strong>桃李，冷<strong>若</strong>冰霜 (beautiful <strong>like</strong> peach and plum blossoms, cold <strong>like</strong> ice and forse)</p>
<p>快<strong>若</strong>奔馬，疾<strong>似</strong>流星 (fast <strong>like</strong> a running horse, quick <strong>like</strong> a shooting star)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-11-03T18:25:39.507Z
Can you summarize the rules with a little English description instead of pure Chinese? Can you further describe the differences, unless that is it? I see "like" vs. "that it is like", etc.
Lance Pollard
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-11-03T23:48:26.960Z
They are the simplest and most common ways to make a simile in idiomatic, literal, classical, and colloquial styles. You should focus on the colloquial first and the idomical second because we use them in day-to-day talk the most
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-10-31T06:14:13.610Z
2022-11-04T00:00:44.947Z
2022-11-04T00:00:44.947Z
Tang Ho
<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simile" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Similes</a> in English are like &quot;you are <strong>as</strong> tall <strong>as</strong> a tree&quot; or &quot;you are <strong>like</strong> a monkey in many ways&quot;. &quot;Watchful <em>like</em> a hunter, open minded <em>like</em> a beautiful blue flower, ready <em>like</em> the wind.&quot; Etc.. Those two constructs, &quot;as x as&quot; and &quot;like&quot; form the basis of how you do comparisons in English. How do you do this in Chinese?</p>
<p>If you could provide Pinyin and English gloss along with any Chinese characters, that would be of great help as well.</p>

<word><syntax>
How to do basic similes (comparisons) in Chinese?
# How to do basic similes (comparisons) in Chinese?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-10-31)

[Similes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simile) in English are like "you are **as** tall **as** a tree" or "you are **like** a monkey in many ways". "Watchful *like* a hunter, open minded *like* a beautiful blue flower, ready *like* the wind." Etc.. Those two constructs, "as x as" and "like" form the basis of how you do comparisons in English. How do you do this in Chinese?

If you could provide Pinyin and English gloss along with any Chinese characters, that would be of great help as well.

**Tags:** word, syntax


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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2022-10-31. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

1. [adj] 如 [n] / 其 [adj] 如 [n] (more idiomatic, usually contains four characters)
2. 有如 [n] 般 [adj] / 如 [n] 般 [adj] (more literary)
3. 跟 [n] 一般 [adj] / 像 [n] 一樣 [adj] (more colloquial)
4. [adj] 得跟 [n] 一般 / [adj] 得像 [n] 一樣 (even more colloquial)

Example:

1a. 蠢如豬牛 - stupid like a pig or a cow

1b. 兇狠如狼 - vicious like a wolf

(蠢如豬，狠如狼 is more classical)

1c. 其蠢如豬 - stupidness like a pig's

1d. 其狠如狼 - viciousness like a wolf's

2a. 如豬牛般愚蠢 - as stupid as a pig or a cow

2b. 如豺狼般兇狠 - as vicious as a wolf

3a. 跟豬牛一般愚蠢 - as stupid as a pig or a cow

3b. 像豺狼一樣兇狠 - vicious like a wolf

4a. 愚蠢得跟豬牛一般 (so foolish that it is like a pig or a cow)

4b. 兇狠得像豺狼一樣 (so vicious that it is like a wolf)

Another example:

艷**如**桃李，冷**若**冰霜 (beautiful **like** peach and plum blossoms, cold **like** ice and forse)

快**若**奔馬，疾**似**流星 (fast **like** a running horse, quick **like** a shooting star)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Can you summarize the rules with a little English description instead of pure Chinese? Can you further describe the differences, unless that is it? I see "like" vs. "that it is like", etc.  
> **username_5**: They are the simplest and most common ways to make a simile in idiomatic, literal, classical, and colloquial styles. You should focus on the colloquial first and the idomical second because we use them in day-to-day talk the most  

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### Answer by username_1 on 2022-10-31. Score: 3

"as...as" is comparing two comparable objects:

"you are **as** tall **as** a tree" - 你"**如/就像**"(as)樹"**一般**"(as)高

"she is **as** smart **as** him" - 她"**如/就像**"(as)他"**一樣**"(as)聰明

"like" is "similar to":

"you are **like** a monkey in many ways" - 在很多方面(in many ways)你"就像/如同"(like)一隻猴子.

"Watchful **like** a hunter" - 警惕的"如/像/如同"(like)一個獵人.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2022-10-31. Score: 2

一朵血红的玫瑰 Rabby Bairns

哦，我的爱人就像一朵红玫瑰  
O my Luve is like a red, red rose  
这是六月新出现的；  
That’s newly sprung in June;  
哦，我的爱人就像旋律  
O my Luve is like the melody  
这首曲子弹得很好。  
That’s sweetly played in tune.

You're as tall as your father.  
你和你父亲一样高。

The water was as smooth as glass.  
水平如镜。

Unfettered by the axioms of Western Grammar, Chinese can dispense with is, was and as:

My hands are as cold as ice.  
我双手冰冷。

Her skin was as white as snow.  
她的皮肤雪白。

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: I mean, the "unfettered by the axioms of Western Grammar" part at the end seems overblown. "Ice-cold hands" and "snow-white skin" are just as grammatical and idiomatic in English.  
> **username_4**: Maybe he meant Germanic grammar? He did not say English grammar? :)  
> **username_2**: Would you really only say: "My two ice-cold hands." or "Her snow-white skin." ?? Does that not seem a tad unfinished to you? English is Germanic!  

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