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Using 象 (xiàng) to express "like" or "as if"
Comparison
Description & Modification
Explanation
The word 象 (xiàng) is a variant of 像, meaning "like" or "as if," used for comparisons and similes. It appears in phrases such as 象是 (as if) and in the verb 想象 (to imagine). In modern usage, 像 is the standard form, but 象 still appears in some texts.
Examples
外面的风象刀子一样，冷极了。
wàimiàn de fēng xiàng dāozi yíyàng, lěng jí le.
The wind outside is like a knife — bitterly cold.
她笑起来象花一样好看。
tā xiào qǐlái xiàng huā yíyàng hǎokàn.
Her smile is as beautiful as a flower.
天象是要下雨了，我们快走吧。
tiān xiàng shì yào xià yǔ le, wǒmen kuài zǒu ba.
It looks like it's going to rain — let's hurry up and go.