# Expressing "it seems" with "好像"

<SentenceQuiz>

- 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 běndìrén. -->
  - 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 gè rén zuò zài nàr, _hǎoxiàng_ zài xiǎng shìqing. -->
  - He's sitting there all by himself. It seems like he's thinking about something.
- _好像_ 不 行 。
  <!-- - _Hǎoxiàng_ bù xíng. -->
  - It seems like it didn't work.
- _好像_ 要 下雨 了 。
  <!-- - _Hǎoxiàng_ yào xiàyǔ le. -->
  - It seems like 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 has been here.

</SentenceQuiz>

<TOC>

- Level: [B1](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/B1_grammar_points) / [HSK4](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/HSK4_grammar_points)
- Similar to
  - [Appearance with "看起来"](./看起来.md) (B1)
  - [Assessing situations with "看来"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Assessing_situations_with_%22kanlai%22) (B2)
  - [Expressing "as if" with "似乎"](../C1/adverbs/似乎.md) (C1)
- Used for: [Observing](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Observing)
- Keywords: [好像](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E5%A5%BD%E5%83%8F), [像](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E5%83%8F)

</TOC>

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 běndìrén. -->
  - 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 gè rén 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 like..." or "it seems that..." in English. This could then be followed by an entire statement.

- _好像_ 不 行 。
  <!-- - _Hǎoxiàng_ bù xíng. -->
  - It seems like it didn't work.
- _好像_ 要 下雨 了 。
  <!-- - _Hǎoxiàng_ yào xiàyǔ le. -->
  - It seems like 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 has been here.

## See also

- [Appearance with "看起来"](./看起来.md)
- [Expressing "as if" with "似乎"](../C1/adverbs/似乎.md)

## Sources and further reading

### Books

- [Practicing HSK Grammar (语法精讲精炼)](<https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Practicing_HSK_Grammar_(%E8%AF%AD%E6%B3%95%E7%B2%BE%E8%AE%B2%E7%B2%BE%E7%82%BC)>) (pp. 41) [Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy](https://www.amazon.cn/mn/detailApp?_encoding=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&asin=B001J0ADWA&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B001J0ADWA,)
- [Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Basic_Patterns_of_Chinese_Grammar) (pp. 101) [Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy](https://www.amazon.cn/mn/detailApp?_encoding=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&asin=B001J0ADWA&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B001J0ADWA,)
- [Boya Chinese Elementary Starter 1 (博雅汉语初经起步篇)](<https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Boya_Chinese_Elementary_Starter_1_(%E5%8D%9A%E9%9B%85%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%88%9D%E7%BB%8F%E8%B5%B7%E6%AD%A5%E7%AF%87)>) (pp. 157) [Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy](https://www.amazon.cn/mn/detailApp?_encoding=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&asin=B001J0ADWA&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B001J0ADWA,)