恍如 (huǎng rú) — as if; as though; it seems like

Definition

Literary adverb meaning 'as if / as though', used in writing to draw a vivid comparison. Pairs with 置身于, 做梦, 昨日 etc. — not used in everyday speech.

adverb
as ifas thoughit seems like

Examples

  • ，恍如。
    Tā zhàn zài shān dǐng, huǎng rú zhì shēn yú xiān jìng.
    He stood on the mountaintop, as if in a fairyland.
  • ，恍如。
    Shí jiān guò dé zhēn kuài, huǎng rú zuó rì.
    Time flies, as if it were yesterday.
  • ，恍如。
    Tīng dào zhè ge xiāo xi, tā huǎng rú zuò mèng yì bān.
    Hearing this news, he felt as if in a dream.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

恍huǎngseemingly
如rúlike

The sense of 恍 as seemingly pairs with 如 as like to mean as if.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
忄Written in full as心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
光
光guāng恍huǎng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

恍 combines 忄 (heart) with 光 (guāng); the heart part relates to the meaning, and 光 points to the sound.

Open 恍 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
女
女nǚ如rú
Same sound today

如 is built from 口 (mouth) for its meaning and 女 (woman) for its sound.

Open 如 →

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