看似
kànsì · HSK 7
looks like
👀 看 (look) + 似 (resemble) = looks like / seems on the surface
看 is to look/watch and 似 means to resemble or seem. Together 看似 marks how something appears on the surface — often setting up a but-actually contrast, as in looks calm but.
看 — hand 手 over eye 目
看 is an associative compound showing a hand (手, simplified to 龹) shading an eye (目), depicting someone shielding their eyes to look into the distance. From this concrete gesture it broadened to mean 'to look,' 'to watch,' and later 'to read' or 'to consider.'