像样
xiàng yàng · HSK 7
presentable
👔 像 (resemble) + 样 (the proper look) = resembling how it should look, so presentable
像样 literally means it resembles (像) the right appearance or manner (样). When something lives up to the expected standard, it is decent or up to par. Think of a well-pressed outfit that resembles the proper look.
像 — person radical 亻 + elephant 象
Originally 象 alone meant 'elephant' and by extension 'image/likeness,' since elephants were rare and people knew them mainly through depictions. The 亻 (person) radical was later added to specialize the meaning as 'image, likeness, resemble,' leaving 象 for the animal itself.
样 — wood radical 木 + sheep 羊
样 is a phono-semantic compound. The wood radical 木 originally hinted at meaning (a wooden model or sample), while 羊 (sheep) supplies the sound. From 'wooden pattern/template' it broadened to mean 'shape, form, kind, manner'.