<p>Tl;dr: As an individual word in modern Chinese, they behave differently (point 1). Example sentences are discussed in point 2. Point 3 discusses their use as part of compound words or idioms.</p>
<ol>
<li><p><strong>Limiting our discussion to similes</strong> (<code>如</code> and <code>若</code> can also mean 'if'; this sense is not discussed below), <code>像</code> seems to be most frequently used alone in modern Chinese (spoken and written). <code>如</code> and <code>似</code> come in second, and may appear independently in more literary contexts. <code>若</code>, given its classical nature, seems to only work when as part of idioms but never alone.</p>
</li>
<li><p>Consider the following:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>a. 他<em><strong>像</strong>一個小孩</em>。 He is like a child.</p>
<p>b. 記憶<strong>像</strong>鐵軌<strong>一樣</strong><em>長</em>。 Memories are as endless as the railway tracks.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It is permissible to replace <code>像</code> in the above examples with <code>如</code> or <code>似</code>, but not <code>若</code>. <code>如</code> or <code>似</code>, however, give a more literary (somewhat old-fashioned) nuance, and must be used with caution.</p>
<p>Sentence a. is 'simple', where the simile forms the predicate itself (italicised). But in sentence b., the core part of the predicate (italicised) is something else (i.e. <code>長</code>, long).</p>
<p>In that case, you may consider adding a preceding adjective/adverb (定語) before the predicate besides <code>像/如/似</code>. Usual choices include <code>一樣</code>, <code>(一)般</code>, <code>似的</code> (adjective; precedes noun only, so this is the only option that does not apply in sentence b.), and <code>似地</code> (adverb; precedes verb or adjective). Coupling like these is also possible in the simple case (e.g. sentence a.), albeit somewhat redundant.</p>
</li>
<li><p><code>像</code>, <code>如</code>, <code>似</code>, and <code>若</code> (especially the latter three) can appear in modern Chinese as part of compound words and/or idioms.</p>
<div class="s-table-container">
<table class="s-table">
<thead>
<tr>
<th style="text-align: center;"></th>
<th style="text-align: center;">Compounds</th>
<th style="text-align: center;">Idioms</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">像</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">好像</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">三分像人，七分像鬼</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">如</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">如同、就如、彷如、有如</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">如泣如訴</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">似</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">似是</td>
<td style="text-align: center;">驕陽似火、似水流年</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">若</td>
<td style="text-align: center;"></td>
<td style="text-align: center;">若隱若現</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
<p>Note how the idioms usually are similes themselves. They have respectable etymologies and words within should not be easily replaced. E.g., it is wrong to say <code>*驕陽像火</code>.</p>
</li>
</ol>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-25T08:27:04.383Z
Thank you so, so much!
jinglingmen
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-25T07:11:09.230Z
2021-04-25T07:58:37.760Z
2021-04-25T07:58:37.760Z
L Parker
<p>A single character word usually contains many meanings, joining two characters into a compound word make it more specific</p>
<p>General: 如、若、像、似</p>
<p>Specific: 仿如、有如、仿若、有若、像似、好像、似是、似乎 = 'like/ as if'</p>
<p>Another commonplace to find 如、若、似 as the single characters 'like' are in idiomatic phrases</p>
<p>如泣如訴</p>
<p>如火如荼</p>
<p>如狼似虎</p>
<p>如膠似漆</p>
<p>若隱若現</p>
<p>若即若離</p>
<p>像 is more colloquial, less frequently found in idioms</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-25T08:27:42.100Z
thank you so much
jinglingmen
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-25T07:56:49.737Z
2021-04-25T08:03:05.030Z
2021-04-25T08:03:05.030Z
Tang Ho
<p>How often are 如、若、像、似 used in Chinese?</p>
<p>Please show me example sentences with  如、若、像、似.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-25T07:03:47.683Z
Example sentences can be found at e.g. [Jukuu](http://www.jukuu.com/), [YouDao](http://youdao.com/), [ZaoJv](https://zaojv.com/), and [ChinesePod](https://chinesepod.com/dictionary/english-chinese).
Becky 李蓓
<difference>
Please show me example sentences with 如、若、像、似
# Please show me example sentences with 如、若、像、似

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-04-25)

How often are 如、若、像、似 used in Chinese?

Please show me example sentences with 如、若、像、似.

**Tags:** difference

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Example sentences can be found at e.g. [Jukuu](http://www.jukuu.com/), [YouDao](http://youdao.com/), [ZaoJv](https://zaojv.com/), and [ChinesePod](https://chinesepod.com/dictionary/english-chinese).  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2021-04-25. Score: 0 | Accepted answer

Tl;dr: As an individual word in modern Chinese, they behave differently (point 1). Example sentences are discussed in point 2. Point 3 discusses their use as part of compound words or idioms.

1. **Limiting our discussion to similes** (`如` and `若` can also mean 'if'; this sense is not discussed below), `像` seems to be most frequently used alone in modern Chinese (spoken and written). `如` and `似` come in second, and may appear independently in more literary contexts. `若`, given its classical nature, seems to only work when as part of idioms but never alone.
2. Consider the following:

   > a. 他***像**一個小孩*。 He is like a child.
   >
   > b. 記憶**像**鐵軌**一樣***長*。 Memories are as endless as the railway tracks.

   It is permissible to replace `像` in the above examples with `如` or `似`, but not `若`. `如` or `似`, however, give a more literary (somewhat old-fashioned) nuance, and must be used with caution.

   Sentence a. is 'simple', where the simile forms the predicate itself (italicised). But in sentence b., the core part of the predicate (italicised) is something else (i.e. `長`, long).

   In that case, you may consider adding a preceding adjective/adverb (定語) before the predicate besides `像/如/似`. Usual choices include `一樣`, `(一)般`, `似的` (adjective; precedes noun only, so this is the only option that does not apply in sentence b.), and `似地` (adverb; precedes verb or adjective). Coupling like these is also possible in the simple case (e.g. sentence a.), albeit somewhat redundant.
3. `像`, `如`, `似`, and `若` (especially the latter three) can appear in modern Chinese as part of compound words and/or idioms.

   |  | Compounds | Idioms |
   | --- | --- | --- |
   | 像 | 好像 | 三分像人，七分像鬼 |
   | 如 | 如同、就如、彷如、有如 | 如泣如訴 |
   | 似 | 似是 | 驕陽似火、似水流年 |
   | 若 |  | 若隱若現 |

   Note how the idioms usually are similes themselves. They have respectable etymologies and words within should not be easily replaced. E.g., it is wrong to say `*驕陽像火`.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thank you so, so much!  

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### Answer by username_3 on 2021-04-25. Score: 0

A single character word usually contains many meanings, joining two characters into a compound word make it more specific

General: 如、若、像、似

Specific: 仿如、有如、仿若、有若、像似、好像、似是、似乎 = 'like/ as if'

Another commonplace to find 如、若、似 as the single characters 'like' are in idiomatic phrases

如泣如訴

如火如荼

如狼似虎

如膠似漆

若隱若現

若即若離

像 is more colloquial, less frequently found in idioms

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: thank you so much  

---

