hou2 bei2好比
Jyutpinghou2 bei2
Yalehóu béi
Definition
To be compared to, likened to, or just like.
writtendescriptions
How it's used
Literary in origin, this term is used to draw a vivid comparison between a subject and something of much greater scale or intensity. It carries a slightly formal or poetic weight compared to everyday comparisons like 似 or 好似. Use it when you want to emphasize the gravity or the exact nature of a metaphor.
Examples
He is just like my family, very close.
This difficulty is like a huge mountain, very hard to overcome.
Related words
Common phrases
just like a dream
like sending charcoal in snowy weather (a timely help)
Common mistake
Learners often use this interchangeably with 好似, but 好比 is significantly more formal and usually reserved for metaphorical or abstract comparisons rather than simple physical resemblances.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
