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貌似 (mào shì) — seemingly; on the surface (often implying the opposite is true); (colloquial) it seems that; it looks like (used for speculation)

Definition

Used to introduce a surface appearance that often contrasts with reality ('seemingly'), or in speech to hedge a guess ('looks like'). Similar to 好像 but more often carries a skeptical or ironic edge, hinting the opposite may be true.

adverb
seeminglyon the surface (often implying the opposite is true)(colloquial) it seems thatit looks like (used for speculation)

Examples

  • 貌似，。
    Tā mào shì hěn yǒu hǎo, qí shí hěn nán xiāng chǔ.
    He seems friendly, but in fact he's hard to get along with.
  • 貌似，。
    Zhè ge wèn tí mào shì jiǎn dān, zuò qǐ lái què bù róng yì.
    This problem seems simple, but it's not easy to solve.
  • 貌似，。
    mào shì Jīn tiān yào xià yǔ, wǒ men hái shì dài sǎn ba.
    It looks like it's going to rain today — we'd better bring an umbrella.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

貌màoappearance
似sìresemble

The 貌 (appearance) is what 似 (resembles), giving the sense of seeming.

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
皃皃màolooks
Sound part声符shēngfú
豹
豹bào貌
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

貌 uses 皃, an older picture of a face, to show looks, and 豹 as a sound part.

Open 貌 →

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
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.

Open 似 →
Appears in
Attitudes & Opinions

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