仿佛: as if, as though
【六11】情态副词 / adverbs
Tone colorsā tone 1á tone 2ǎ tone 3à tone 4a neutral
仿佛 introduces an impression: "as if", "as though". It stands before a verb or a noun, and the sentence often closes on 似的 or 一般: 他仿佛变了一个人似的. It does not state a fact, it paints a feeling.
It is literary and vivid, common in novels, the press and narration; in speech people say 好像. Do not mix it up with 似乎 ("apparently"): 似乎 gives a cautious inference, 仿佛 a picture or a sensation (see also 像……似的).
One closing marker is enough (似的, 一般 or 一样), and 仿佛 already does the work of 像: do not pile all three on top of each other.
Examples
时间仿佛停住了。
Shíjiān fǎngfú tíngzhù le.It was as if time had stopped.
听到这个消息，他仿佛不相信自己的耳朵。
Tīngdào zhège xiāoxi, tā fǎngfú bù xiāngxìn zìjǐ de ěrduo.On hearing the news, he seemed unable to believe his ears.
雨后的山仿佛被洗过一样，绿得发亮。
Yǔ hòu de shān fǎngfú bèi xǐ guo yíyàng, lǜ de fāliàng.After the rain the mountain looked freshly washed, a gleaming green.
站在海边，我仿佛又回到了童年的夏天。
Zhàn zài hǎibiān, wǒ fǎngfú yòu huídào le tóngnián de xiàtiān.Standing by the sea, I felt I was back in the summers of my childhood.
奶奶仿佛孩子似的开心地笑了。
Nǎinai fǎngfú háizi shìde kāixīn de xiào le.Grandma laughed happily, just like a child.
他工作起来仿佛不知道什么是累。
Tā gōngzuò qǐlai fǎngfú bù zhīdào shénme shì lèi.When he works, he seems not to know what tiredness is.
Common mistakes
✗ 他仿佛像孩子一样似的。 → ✓ 他仿佛孩子似的。 / 他像孩子一样。 (one comparison marker is enough).
✗ 窗户黑着，他仿佛不在家。 → ✓ 窗户黑着，他好像不在家。 (a plain inference takes 好像 or 似乎, 仿佛 gives an impression).