犹如 (yóu rú) — (formal/literary) to be like, to resemble (used…

Definition

Formal/literary 'to be like', used in figurative comparisons (often with 一样 or 一般). More written than everyday 像; heavier than 类似.

verb

(formal/literary) to be liketo resemble (used in figurative comparisons)

Examples

犹如。
Tā de xiào róng yóu rú yáng guāng yí yàng wēn nuǎn.
Her smile is as warm as sunshine.
犹如，。
Shí jiān yóu rú liú shuǐ, yí qù bù huí.
Time is like flowing water, never to return.
犹如。
Chéng shì yè jǐng yóu rú xīng kōng yì bān měi lì.
The city night view is as beautiful as a starry sky.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

犹yóulike

如rúlike

犹 and 如 both mean like, so together they express resemblance.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 猶; 犹 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

犬犬quǎndog

Sound part声符shēngfú

酋

酋qiú猶yóu

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

The traditional form 猶 combines 犬 (dog) with 酋 as a sound part, and the evidence identifies it as a kind of monkey. The simplified 犹 is a shorthand, not the historical shape.

Open 犹 →

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

女口如

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 →

Appears in