How to use 看起来
Subject + 看起来 + Description; Subject + 看起来 + 像 + Noun Phrase
看起来 reports an impression based on appearance. Follow it with a description to say how a person or thing looks, rather than stating the description as an established fact. The descriptive phrase can contain an adverb of degree or a negative word, allowing you to express different levels of certainty and intensity.
When comparing the appearance with a person, object, or category, add 像 before the noun phrase. Without 像, an ordinary noun cannot simply replace the adjective in this construction. Context can supply a subject that is left unspoken. Because 看起来 concerns an impression, the actual situation may differ from what the speaker initially sees.
Examples with pinyin and English
蛋糕看起来很好吃。
The cake looks really tasty.
这家餐厅看起来不错。
This restaurant looks good.
你男朋友看起来很成熟。
Your boyfriend looks very mature.
老板看起来有点不高兴。
The boss looks a little unhappy.
What to remember
- Use a description after 看起来.
- Add 像 before a comparison noun.
- An appearance is an impression, not proof.
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Source and editorial notes
Explanation rewritten for Laowai. Examples are adapted from the Laowai English grammar curriculum, with editorial corrections where needed. The original curriculum credits AllSet Learning’s Chinese Grammar Wiki as used with permission. Read the retained source credits.
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