看似 (kàn sì) — to look as if, to seem (often implying the appe… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

看似 emphasizes a deceptive appearance — 'seemingly X, but not really X' — and usually pairs with a 转折 (but) clause. Unlike 好像, it foregrounds the gap between look and reality.

verb

to look as ifto seem (often implying the appearance is deceptive)

Examples

看似，。
Tā kàn sì hěn yǒu hǎo, qí shí hěn nán xiāng chǔ.
He seems very friendly, but is actually hard to get along with.
看似，。
Zhè ge fāng àn kàn sì wán měi, dàn hái yǒu bù shǎo wèn tí.
This plan seems perfect, but there are still quite a few problems.
看似，。
Tā kàn sì píng jìng, nèi xīn què fēi cháng jǐn zhāng.
She looks calm, but inside she's very nervous.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

The 看 sense of looking combines with 似, 'seem', to give 'look as if'.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

手手shǒuhand
目目mùeye

The shape 看 puts 手 (hand) over 目 (eye), showing a hand placed above the eyes to gaze into the distance.

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

亻以似

Meaning part形符xíngfú

亻Written in full as人rénhuman

Sound part声符shēngfú

以

以yǐ似sì

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

似 pairs 亻 (human) with 以, which gives the sound.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 6 Thinking & Cognition

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