似A非A
seemingly A yet not quite; half A
Structure
似 A 非 A
What it means
Looks like A but is not really A: a state hovering on the edge, half A. A written four-character frame.
How it is built
似 + A + 非 + A (the same one-syllable word): 她似笑非笑地看了我一眼 (She gave me a look that was not quite a smile). Others: 似懂非懂 (half understanding), 似睡非睡 (half asleep).
When to use it
Critics reach for it when a poem is hazy (朦胧). 半A半B (6-15) mixes two things (半信半疑); 非A非B (6-19) fits neither of two. 似是而非 (plausible but wrong) is a separate idiom.
Watch out
The same word in both slots, and only one syllable. ✗ 似懂非会 ✗ 似明白非明白 ✓ 好像明白，又好像不明白.
Examples
第一遍似懂非懂也不要紧，多朗读几遍，慢慢体会。
It doesn’t matter if you only half understand it the first time; read it aloud a few more times and let it sink in.
她听了这话，似笑非笑地看了我一眼。
When she heard that, she gave me a look that was not quite a smile.
他端着酒杯，似醉非醉地唱起了老歌。
Glass in hand and not quite drunk, he started singing old songs.
Learn this in Lesson 225 · HSK 9+: 新诗一百年 (A century of modern poetry)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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