Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar

Similarity

33.1

NP 1 跟/和 NP 2 很像

NP 1 gēn/hé NP 2 hěn xiàng

你儿子跟/和你女儿很像吗？

你兒子跟/和你女兒很像嗎？

Nǐ érzi gēn/hé nǐ nǚ’ér hěn xiàng ma?

Do your son and daughter look alike?

If the noun phrase refers to multiple entities, say:

NP (很) 像

NP (hěn) xiàng

NP are very similar/very much alike.

他们很像。

他們很像。

Tāmen hěn xiàng.

They look very much alike.

C33.2.4

33.1.5 indicating similarity in some property

To indicate that two noun phrases are similar enough to be considered equivalent, say:

NP 1 有 NP 2 那么/那麼 AV

NP 1 yǒu NP 2 nàme AV

他有他姐姐那么高。( AV )

他有他姐姐那麼高。

Tā yǒu tā jiějie nàme gāo.

He is as tall as his older sister.

他有他姐姐那么聪明吗？

他有他姐姐那麼聰明嗎？

Tā yǒu tā jiějie nàme cōngming ma?

Is he as intelligent as his older sister?

or

NP 1 有 NP 2 这么/這麼 AV

NP 1 有 NP 2 zhème AV

NP 1 is as AV as NP 2

他有你这么高。AV

他有你這麼高。

Tā yǒu nǐ zhème gāo.

He is as tall as you.

Note 这么/這麼 zhème ‘this/so’ and 那么/那麼 nàme ‘that/so’ are used frequently in comparison structures.
they may occur before an adjectival verb. It is often not necessary to translate 这么/這麼 zhème and
那么/那麼 nàme into english.

C33.4.1