Similes in English are like "you are as tall as a tree" or "you are like a monkey in many ways". "Watchful like a hunter, open minded like a beautiful blue flower, ready like the wind." Etc.. Those two constructs, "as x as" and "like" form the basis of how you do comparisons in English. How do you do this in Chinese?
If you could provide Pinyin and English gloss along with any Chinese characters, that would be of great help as well.
[adj] 如 [n] / 其 [adj] 如 [n] (more idiomatic, usually contains four characters)
有如 [n] 般 [adj] / 如 [n] 般 [adj] (more literary)
跟 [n] 一般 [adj] / 像 [n] 一樣 [adj] (more colloquial)
[adj] 得跟 [n] 一般 / [adj] 得像 [n] 一樣 (even more colloquial)
Example:
1a. 蠢如豬牛 - stupid like a pig or a cow
1b. 兇狠如狼 - vicious like a wolf
(蠢如豬，狠如狼 is more classical)
1c. 其蠢如豬 - stupidness like a pig's
1d. 其狠如狼 - viciousness like a wolf's
2a. 如豬牛般愚蠢 - as stupid as a pig or a cow
2b. 如豺狼般兇狠 - as vicious as a wolf
3a. 跟豬牛一般愚蠢 - as stupid as a pig or a cow
3b. 像豺狼一樣兇狠 - vicious like a wolf
4a. 愚蠢得跟豬牛一般 (so foolish that it is like a pig or a cow)
4b. 兇狠得像豺狼一樣 (so vicious that it is like a wolf)
Another example:
艷如桃李，冷若冰霜 (beautiful like peach and plum blossoms, cold like ice and forse)
快若奔馬，疾似流星 (fast like a running horse, quick like a shooting star)
"as...as" is comparing two comparable objects:
"you are as tall as a tree" - 你"如/就像"(as)樹"一般"(as)高
"she is as smart as him" - 她"如/就像"(as)他"一樣"(as)聰明
"like" is "similar to":
"you are like a monkey in many ways" - 在很多方面(in many ways)你"就像/如同"(like)一隻猴子.
"Watchful like a hunter" - 警惕的"如/像/如同"(like)一個獵人.
一朵血红的玫瑰 Rabby Bairns
哦，我的爱人就像一朵红玫瑰
O my Luve is like a red, red rose
这是六月新出现的；
That’s newly sprung in June;
哦，我的爱人就像旋律
O my Luve is like the melody
这首曲子弹得很好。
That’s sweetly played in tune.
You're as tall as your father.
你和你父亲一样高。
The water was as smooth as glass.
水平如镜。
Unfettered by the axioms of Western Grammar, Chinese can dispense with is, was and as:
My hands are as cold as ice.
我双手冰冷。
Her skin was as white as snow.
她的皮肤雪白。
