How to use 显得；看起来
Subject + 显得 / 看起来 + description; circumstance + 显得 + person + description
显得 presents a quality as standing out or becoming apparent in a situation. The sentence often shows how clothing, behavior, or a surrounding contrast makes someone appear a particular way. 看起来 more directly reports the impression someone gets from looking at or assessing the subject. Both can concern an appearance rather than the person's actual character or condition.
Use a descriptive predicate after either expression, keeping the sentence's subject and any affected person clear. Some 显得 sentences explicitly identify the behavior or arrangement that creates the impression. It is useful to notice that emphasis, but avoid a rigid rule that 显得 is objective and 看起来 subjective. Both descriptions can reflect an observer's interpretation of the circumstances.
Examples with pinyin and English
这样穿显得我比较成熟。
Dressing like this makes me appear more mature.
那样吃显得你很没礼貌。
Eating like that makes you look very impolite.
你今天看起来很高兴。
You seem very happy today.
这个餐厅看起来不错，我们可以试试。
This restaurant seems pretty good. Let's try it out.
What to remember
- Use 显得 when context makes a quality stand out.
- Use 看起来 to report an impression.
- Do not equate either expression with proof of reality.
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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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