Expressing "it seems" with "haoxiang"

To express "seems," the word 好像 (hǎoxiàng) can be used.

Structure

Subj. + 好像 ⋯⋯

Examples

• 他 好像 是 英国 人 。Tā hǎoxiàng shì Yīngguó rén.He seems to be British.
• 你 好像 不 是 本地 人 。Nǐ hǎoxiàng bù shì běndì rén.You don't seem to be a local.
• 她 好像 生病 了 。Tā hǎoxiàng shēngbìng le.It seems like she's sick.
• 你 好像 很 不 喜欢 她 。Nǐ hǎoxiàng hěn bù xǐhuan tā.It seems that you dislike her a lot.
• 王 先生 好像 很怕 他 老婆 。Wáng xiānsheng hǎoxiàng hěn pà tā lǎopo.Mr. Wang seems to fear his wife a lot.
• 他 一个人 坐 在 那儿 ，好像 在 想 事情 。Tā yī gèrén zuò zài nàr, hǎoxiàng zài xiǎng shìqing.He's sitting there all by himself. It seems like he's thinking about something.

Note that if this structure is used without a subject, it has the meaning of "it seems that..." in English. This could then be followed by an entire statement.

• 好像 不 行 。Hǎoxiàng bù xíng.It seems that it didn't work.
• 好像 要 下雨 了 。Hǎoxiàng yào xiàyǔ le.It seems that it's going to rain.
• 好像 有 人 敲门 。Hǎoxiàng yǒu rén qiāo mén.It seems that someone is knocking at the door.
• 好像 有 人 来 过 。Hǎoxiàng yǒu rén lái guo.It seems that someone was here.

See also

• Appearance with "kanqilai"
• Expressing "as if" with "sihu"

Sources and further reading

Books

• Practicing HSK Grammar (语法精讲精炼) (pp. 41) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (pp. 101) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• Boya Chinese Elementary Starter 1 (博雅汉语初经起步篇) (pp. 157) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy