似乎……

sìhū...

seems / apparently... (似乎……)

似乎 means “seems” or “appears to.” Use it when you have some evidence but are not completely sure.

Anchor example

他今天不太说话，似乎有点儿不高兴。

Tā jīntiān bú tài shuōhuà, sìhū yǒu diǎnr bù gāoxìng.

He is not talking much today; he seems a little unhappy.

HSK 4

1 structures

15 exercises

Lesson summary

Read the sample sentence and notice how 似乎…… guides the meaning: 似乎 A.

Explanation

似乎 softens a statement and shows that the speaker is making a careful judgement. It is common in written or slightly formal speech, but still understandable in daily contexts. Do not use it when the fact is already certain; use 显然 or 明显 if the evidence is clear. Compared with 好像, 似乎 is a little more formal and objective.

Structure Patterns

1 structures

Grammar pattern

似乎 A

makes a careful judgement based on signs, not full certainty

他今天不太说话，似乎有点儿不高兴。

Tā jīntiān bú tài shuōhuà, sìhū yǒu diǎnr bù gāoxìng.

He is not talking much today; he seems a little unhappy.

Common Mistakes

Using 似乎 for a confirmed fact: 现在似乎是三点。If the fact is confirmed, say 现在是三点. Use 似乎 only when unsure.
Mixing it with a very strong conclusion: 似乎一定会成功。Avoid combining 似乎 with 一定. Say 似乎会成功 or 一定会成功 depending on certainty.

Usage Notes

似乎 often appears before verbs, adjectives, or a full clause.
It is softer than 显然 and less casual than 好像.
Useful for observations about mood, weather, plans, or problems.

Practice

15 exercises

1 / 15

Fill in the blank:

他今天不太说话，____有点儿不高兴。

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