像 meaning and stroke order
To resemble; to be like; to look as if
How to write 像, stroke by stroke
13 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
Meaning of 像
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to resemble
- to be like
- to look as if
- such as
- appearance
- image
How 像 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Person.
亻 gives the meaning and 象 hints at the sound.
Radical: 亻 (man), shared by 277 characters on this site.
How to remember 像
A person 亻 standing next to an elephant 象 (xiàng) gives you 像 (xiàng). Picture someone trying to look like an elephant: 像 means to resemble, and 象 also gives the sound.
像 is a common verb for saying one thing resembles another, often in the pattern A 像 B. It also appears in 好像 (hǎoxiàng) to mean "it seems" and in image words like 图像 (túxiàng). Example: 他很像他爸爸。(Tā hěn xiàng tā bàba.) He looks a lot like his dad.
Common mistake: Learners often write 象 instead of 像, or the reverse, because they sound the same. Use 像 with the person radical for resembling and for images of people or things, as in 偶像 (ǒuxiàng), but write 象 for elephant and in words like 印象 (yìnxiàng) impression.
Common words with 像
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 好像 | hǎoxiàng | as if; to seem like | HSK 2 |
| 摄像机 | shèxiàngjī | video camera | HSK 5 |
| 偶像 | ǒuxiàng | idol | HSK 5 |
| 摄像 | shèxiàng | to videotape | HSK 5 |
| 录像 | lùxiàng | to videotape; to videorecord | HSK 6 |
| 音像 | yīnxiàng | audio and video; audiovisual | HSK 6 |
| 影像 | yǐngxiàng | image | HSK 7-9 |
| 图像 | túxiàng | image; picture; graphic | HSK 7-9 |
| 像样 | xiàngyàng | presentable; decent | HSK 7-9 |
| 肖像 | xiàoxiàng | portrait (painting, photo etc); (in a general sense) representation of a person | HSK 7-9 |
| 不像话 | bùxiànghuà | unreasonable; shocking | HSK 7-9 |
| 想像 | xiǎngxiàng | to imagine; to envision; imagination | |
| 摄像头 | shèxiàngtóu | webcam; surveillance camera | |
| 雕像 | diāoxiàng | sculpture; (carved) statue |
像 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 像
How many strokes are in 像?
像 is written with 13 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 像 mean?
像 (xiàng) means to resemble; to be like; to look as if. A common word with it is 好像 (hǎoxiàng), meaning "as if; to seem like".
How do you pronounce 像?
像 is pronounced xiàng, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 像?
The radical of 像 is 亻, which carries the idea of "man". Dictionaries list 像 under this radical.
Is 像 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 像 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
What is the difference between 像 and 好像?
像 alone usually compares two things directly, as in 她像妈妈 (tā xiàng māma), she is like her mom. 好像 (hǎoxiàng) adds a sense of uncertainty, meaning "it seems" or "as if", as in 好像要下雨了 (hǎoxiàng yào xià yǔ le), it looks like it is going to rain.
How do you say "like" in the sense of "such as" with 像?
You can put 像 before examples, often with 这样 or 一样 later in the sentence. For example, 像北京、上海这样的大城市 (xiàng Běijīng, Shànghǎi zhèyàng de dà chéngshì) means big cities such as Beijing and Shanghai.