似乎 (sì hū) is an adverb meaning 'seemingly' or 'apparently', used to express that something appears to be true based on observation or impression—but without full certainty. It combines 似 (sì), meaning 'to resemble' or 'to seem', and 乎 (hū), an ancient particle that adds a sense of doubt or speculation; together, they form a modern, neutral-sounding expression of tentative judgment. It’s commonly placed before verbs or adjectives, often at the beginning or middle of a clause.

This word is frequent in both spoken and written Chinese, especially in descriptions of people’s behavior, emotions, or situations where evidence is indirect—such as someone looking tired, a plan appearing unlikely to succeed, or weather seeming about to change. Unlike stronger expressions like 肯定 (kěndìng, 'definitely'), 似乎 signals caution and openness to contradiction, making it useful for polite, nuanced communication.