<blockquote>
  <p>那朵云好像是一朵棉花。<br>
  <strong>好像</strong> adv. seem; as if; as though<br>
  <strong>是</strong> verb. is  </p>
  
  <p>那朵云好像一朵棉花。<br>
  <strong>好像</strong> verb. seems to be... ; looks like...<br>
  It is actually the combination of 好(quite; pretty much) and 像(seems to be).</p>
</blockquote>

<p>是 here is a verb in your sentence, but we can omit 是 because 好像 can also be a verb. And the meaning is almost the same no matter whether there is 是.   </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>我想像 David Beckham 踢得太好。(Actually, we don't say like this.)<br>
  <strong>想</strong> verb. want to; intend to; would like to; hope to.<br>
  <strong>像</strong> preposition. resemble; such as  </p>
</blockquote>

<p>However, this sentence has some problem when you want to express "I want to play soccer as well as David Beckham." 太好 here would give a negative meaning like "play too good to ... (avoid some training wound/be out of spare time/take care of family...)". The situation you can use 太好 is in exclamatory sentence:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>他踢球踢得太好了！ </p>
</blockquote>

<p>So I suggest to say:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>我想像大卫•贝克汉姆踢得那么好。  play ... so good as ...<br>
  or<br>
  我想踢得像大卫•贝克汉姆一样好。  play ... as good as ...  </p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-29T01:22:08.347Z
Can I also say 我想像大卫·贝克汉姆一样足球踢得那么好？
金允雄Oliver
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-29T01:37:12.477Z
Also, when using 像, is 一样 replaceable?
金允雄Oliver
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-29T09:19:25.833Z
Yes, you may say that. 那朵云像棉花 = 那朵云像棉花一样
Bruce Huang
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-28T12:00:01.450Z
2018-07-28T16:21:46.480Z
2018-07-28T16:21:46.480Z
Bruce Huang
<p>When 是 is used in 好像／像, meaning look like, similar to or as, you can omit 是, when  好像／像 means likely, seemingly, probably, you can not.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-28T15:37:30.617Z
2018-07-28T15:37:30.617Z
XL _At_Here_There
<p>I am really confused in regards to how 是 is used in 好像／像 sentences and sometimes not used.</p>

<p>For example, I can come up with something like 那朵云好像是一朵棉花。 (that cloud looks like cotton.) Can I omit 是 here?</p>

<p>In another case, I can compose a sentence such as 我想像 David Beckham 踢得太好 
 (I want to play soccer as well as David Beckham) and 是 is not used here.</p>

<p>Can somebody help me understand usages of 好像／像 and how 是 is used and sometimes not used in those sentences?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-28T09:53:28.513Z
users note, in each of 像是一朵棉花, 想像 there is only one verb 是 in 1st case, 想 in 2nd
user6065
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-28T09:56:18.487Z
So, you use 是 when there's no verb involved? Such as the first case? Also not in the second case because there's already a verb 踢？
金允雄Oliver
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-28T10:15:17.110Z
I might be wrong here, but the '好像是' in '那朵云好像是一朵棉花' for me means 'seems to be' not 'looks like'...
Fai91
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-28T11:28:47.130Z
@Fai91 What's the difference between "seems to be" and "looks like" ?
Bruce Huang
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-28T12:34:47.167Z
1st example NP+像是+NP (NP noun phrase,do not omit 是 )
2nd 像+NP+V+得＋adj/adv see grammars, Making comparisons 象
 bkrs:好像是,像是 1)相似。
如：「这些人造花做得像是真花一般。」(it) looks like, it is likely,大概,好像是,看来,也许，好像是你对，it looks as if you are right,2) 彷佛。
如：「听他的口气像是已经下定决心了。」as if  iciba: look like； seem；  This is more like a downpayment, or a deposit, if you like.这更像是首付，也可以说是定金。(there are more examples)  好像是 can be "I am afraid so",
像 (2)v. resemble; be like; take after; similar; alike,(4) 模拟 [imitate](5) 仿效 [follow the example of](6) 依随, 顺遂 [comply with]
像了他意, 再无妒忌。 --《古今小说》 also search site for previous disc
user6065
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-28T23:05:47.743Z
＂像 David Beckham 踢得太好＂ does not appear of the standard types of comparison with 像,  像David Beckham踢球那么好，一样／一般好 (also with 跟 instead of 像）（comments #1,5  based on assumption the phrase actually occurred in the literature)
user6065
<grammar>
是 in using 好像／像
# 是 in using 好像／像

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-07-28)

I am really confused in regards to how 是 is used in 好像／像 sentences and sometimes not used.

For example, I can come up with something like 那朵云好像是一朵棉花。 (that cloud looks like cotton.) Can I omit 是 here?

In another case, I can compose a sentence such as 我想像 David Beckham 踢得太好
(I want to play soccer as well as David Beckham) and 是 is not used here.

Can somebody help me understand usages of 好像／像 and how 是 is used and sometimes not used in those sentences?

**Tags:** grammar

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: users note, in each of 像是一朵棉花, 想像 there is only one verb 是 in 1st case, 想 in 2nd  
> **username_0**: So, you use 是 when there's no verb involved? Such as the first case? Also not in the second case because there's already a verb 踢？  
> **username_2**: I might be wrong here, but the '好像是' in '那朵云好像是一朵棉花' for me means 'seems to be' not 'looks like'...  
> **username_3**: @username_2 What's the difference between "seems to be" and "looks like" ?  
> **username_1**: 1st example NP+像是+NP (NP noun phrase,do not omit 是 ) 2nd 像+NP+V+得＋adj/adv see grammars, Making comparisons 象  bkrs:好像是,像是 1)相似。 如：「这些人造花做得像是真花一般。」(it) looks like, it is likely,大概,好像是,看来,也许，好像是你对，it looks as if you are right,2) 彷佛。 如：「听他的口气像是已经下定决心了。」as if  iciba: look like； seem；  This is more like a downpayment, or a deposit, if you like.这更像是首付，也可以说是定金。(there are more examples)  好像是 can be "I am afraid so", 像 (2)v. resemble; be like; take after; similar; alike,(4) 模拟 [imitate](5) 仿效 [follow the example of](6) 依随, 顺遂 [comply with] 像了他意, 再无妒忌。 --《古今小说》 also search site for previous disc  
> **username_1**: ＂像 David Beckham 踢得太好＂ does not appear of the standard types of comparison with 像,  像David Beckham踢球那么好，一样／一般好 (also with 跟 instead of 像）（comments #1,5  based on assumption the phrase actually occurred in the literature)  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2018-07-28. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

> 那朵云好像是一朵棉花。  
> **好像** adv. seem; as if; as though  
> **是** verb. is
>
> 那朵云好像一朵棉花。  
> **好像** verb. seems to be... ; looks like...  
> It is actually the combination of 好(quite; pretty much) and 像(seems to be).

是 here is a verb in your sentence, but we can omit 是 because 好像 can also be a verb. And the meaning is almost the same no matter whether there is 是.

> 我想像 David Beckham 踢得太好。(Actually, we don't say like this.)  
> **想** verb. want to; intend to; would like to; hope to.  
> **像** preposition. resemble; such as

However, this sentence has some problem when you want to express "I want to play soccer as well as David Beckham." 太好 here would give a negative meaning like "play too good to ... (avoid some training wound/be out of spare time/take care of family...)". The situation you can use 太好 is in exclamatory sentence:

> 他踢球踢得太好了！

So I suggest to say:

> 我想像大卫•贝克汉姆踢得那么好。 play ... so good as ...  
> or  
> 我想踢得像大卫•贝克汉姆一样好。 play ... as good as ...

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Can I also say 我想像大卫·贝克汉姆一样足球踢得那么好？  
> **username_0**: Also, when using 像, is 一样 replaceable?  
> **username_3**: Yes, you may say that. 那朵云像棉花 = 那朵云像棉花一样  

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### Answer by username_4 on 2018-07-28. Score: 0

When 是 is used in 好像／像, meaning look like, similar to or as, you can omit 是, when 好像／像 means likely, seemingly, probably, you can not.


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