Similiar

[imitation]

Hi, quick hello's

New poster from Australia, now living in Guangzhou studying at Zhongshan University, about to complete my first semester.

I know to use 一样 for the same, however i'm not sure what is appropriate for similar. I think a friend told me it's common to use 不太 different, however I'm not sure which different to use here or if there's a better way to use it.

Thanks

[Jose]

"similar" = 相似 xiāngsì , 类似 lèisì.

A is similar to B = A 和 B 很相似 (or 类似 ) 。

I think the two words are used in the same way, but I may be wrong. Can anyone tell us whether there is any difference, however subtle, between these two words?

[imitation]

I've just been told by a chinese speaker that they can't think of any word that uses 不太, but I　ｃｏｕｌｄ　ｕｓｅ　ｓｏｍｅｔｈｉｎｇ　ｌｉｋｅ　没什么不同．　　Ａｎｙ　ｍｏｒｅ　ｉｄｅａｓ？

[對話的喧囂]

Or you may use 差不多( cha1 bu4 duo1, literal meaning is different not much, namely, not different too much) to mean similar.

[HashiriKata]

you may use 差不多 to mean similar

And if you like, you can combine 差不多 and 一样:

差不多 一样 = almost the same = similar

[kimichen]

差不多一样

差不多

没什么不同

相似

类似

相仿

Hey guys,

All words you mentioned are close but in a sense also different. I can provide examples but they can cause more confusion so read it at your discreetion.

我和弟弟长的差不多一样。Almost the same

-->maybe imply there are at least some differences.

我和弟弟长的差不多。

-->open remarks, maybe refer to height, complexion, or look

我和弟弟长的没什么不同。

-->a bit weird. Probably use it after someone thinks the other way and you refute it.

我和弟弟长的相像。

-->have a close/simialr look, much more specific

我和弟弟长的相似。

--> similar to the previous one, but strictly speaking it is more like 差不多, not sure what is similar.

我和弟弟的兴趣相仿。

-->Another word for similarity. But not good for my previous example.

我和弟弟长的类似。

--> like 相似. Literally, it is similar based on a specific 'category'(类).

[xiaocai]

to kimichen:

I think use "长得" is better than "长的" because the complements are just after "长".

[Quest]

I think use "长得" is better than "长的"

Not better... 长的 is wrong.

[kimichen]

After a second thought, I think 长得 is better.

得 and 的 will create different effects. If I use other verbs, like 吃, it is clearer.

我吃得很好。Probably talking about good dietary habits or good manners or a good condition.

我吃的很好。Probably talking about what I eat is very good.

你今天想不想加菜？

A. 我现在吃得很好，不用。

B. 我现在吃的(食物)很好，不用。

Maybe someone can recommend me a useful grammar. All my Chinese grammar books seem to be for linguists only.

[Lu]

In the case of looking like my brother I would say

我和弟弟长得很像 I look a lot like my brother. 差不多，一样，相像 etc all sound a bit awkward here I think.

[Desmond]

Couldn't you also say

我弟弟长得像我 Which is just a little different grammer

Or more simply

我像我弟弟 if you didn't feel like using 长得

[HashiriKata]

I don't think there's any problem with: 我弟弟长得像我.

我像我弟弟: Grammatically, it should be ok but some people may try to tell you that you should say "the younger looks like the older" instead of vice versa.

(They may say, for example, the following is wrong: 你妈妈很像你 )

[Ferno]

so is there an "answer" to the question? Is there a general word for "similar"?

[Desmond]

Yes, the answer was given by Jose

"similar" = 相似 xiāngsì ' date=' 类似 lèisì.

A is similar to B = A 和 B 很相似 (or 类似 ) 。[/quote']

[in_lab]

Also, 相近, xiang1jin4

[Ferno]

Desmond, the 很 doesn't have to be there, right?

[Desmond]

nope, doesn't have to be

[Jose]

I think the 很 in the "A is similar to B" example is necessary because in Chinese you cannot usually have a sentence made up of just a subject plus an adjective. To say, for example, "he is tall" or "the weather is good" you cannot say 他高 or 天气好. These sentences are usually felt to be incomplete by native speakers, and 很 is used as a sort of dummy adverb in these cases, so 他很高 and 天气很好 are the correct translations for "he is tall" and "the weather is good".

Similarly, if we want to say that "A and B are similar", I feel that we have to use 很 in front of 相似 / 相近 / 类似 to make the sentence grammatical and complete. If you want to emphasise that A and B are VERY similar, then you should use a stronger adverb like 非常 or 特别.

[Desmond]

I feel that we have to use 很 in front of 相似 / 相近 / 类似 to make the sentence grammatical and complete.

Be careful with saying things like "I feel..." and "I think..." when talking about a language. I got caught in that loop a lot of times, not wanting to accept something as true because it didn't make sense. The priority is finding out what is actually true/possible, and if that is not attainable, then theorizing.

You can say it without 很 such as 她像她姐姐。 You can use 很 but don't need it here.

[cjbaker]

What a native speaker feels or thinks is grammatical in the language is usually defined as what is actually grammatical. And as Jose said, 很 is required with adjectives, but 像 is a verb (I think this requirement of 很 can be said to differentiate adjectives from verbs in Mandarin). Then again, I'm not a native speaker, and Desmond seems to know alot about this