似 (sì) is a Chinese character meaning “to be like”. It is written from 亻 (person (the form 人 takes on the left)) and 以 (by means of), side by side, and takes 6 strokes.
Build the character for “to resemble; seem”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
亻 + 以
Left–right structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分（⿰亻以），已用 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：亻2 画 + 以 4 画 = 6 画
Memory aid
A person (亻) takes something else as (以) their model — stand them side by side and the two look alike.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
6 strokes
In real words
- 似乎sì hūit seems; as if似 = sì
Go deeper
Questions people ask about this character
What does 似 mean?
似 (sì) means to be like; to resemble; to seem; as if.
How do you pronounce 似?
It is pronounced sì.
What parts is 似 made of?
亻 (person (the form 人 takes on the left)) and 以 (by means of), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分（⿰亻以），已用 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：亻2 画 + 以 4 画 = 6 画. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 似 have?
6. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 似?
人. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 似?
Common ones are 似乎. The reading of 似 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.