似乎【sìhū】

似乎 means "it seems". It goes after the subject, before the verb or adjective, and gives an impression the speaker isn't sure of. It is the written counterpart of 好像, and it reads naturally in essays and reports.

It can also open the sentence, especially before 有 or 没有.

In formal writing it softens a conclusion so it isn't stated as fact.

似乎 or 好像

Both mean "it seems" before a verb. 好像 also works as a verb meaning "be like" before a noun. 似乎 doesn't: it only comments on a statement, so a noun after it needs 是.

• × 他似乎一个老师 → 他好像一个老师 / 他似乎是老师