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Chinese Grammar Bank
HOW TO USE 看起来
看起来 (kànqǐlái) is commonly used when talking about what someone or something appears to be.
This is usually at face value, so 看起来 is normally understood as “looks as if”, “to seem/like like”, “gives the impression that”, or “appears” among others.
HOW TO USE 看起来 IN A SENTENCE
In a sentence, 看起来 (kànqǐlái) can be placed before or after the subject.
- Before the subject, it expresses your thoughts on something based on how the whole situation appears to you.
- After the subject, it focuses on the subject specifically and assesses how the subject appears to you.
Examples:
Before the subject
| CHINESE | PINYIN | ENGLISH |
|---|---|---|
| 看起来我们这个活动办得很成功。 | kàn qǐ lái wǒmen zhège huódòng bàn dé hěn chénggōng. | It looks like our event was a great success. |
| 看起来要下雨。 | kàn qǐ lái yào xià yǔ. | It looks like it’s going to rain. |
After the subject
| CHINESE | PINYIN | ENGLISH |
|---|---|---|
| 今天的月亮看起来又大又亮。 | jīntiān de yuèliàng kàn qǐ lái yòu dà yòu liàng. | The moon looks big and bright today. |
| 你今天看起来不对劲。 | nǐ jīntiān kàn qǐ lái bú duì jìn. | You don’t seem like yourself today. |
| 他看起来很诚实，但是他其实居心不良。 | tā kàn qǐ lái hěn chéngshí, dànshì tā qíshí jūxīn bùliáng. | He gives the impression that he is honest but he actually has bad intentions. |
HOW TO USE 看起来 WITH ADJECTIVES
When 看起来 (kànqǐlái) is used with adjectives, it shows one’s perspective on something based on what they see.
Certain adverbs of degree can be used before adjectives: 很 (hěn), 真 (zhēn), 太 (tài) among others.
PATTERN
Subject + 看起来 + Adjective
HOW TO USE 看起来 WITH NOUNS
Here, 看起来 (kànqǐlái) is used for comparison; stating what something looks like.
看起来 is paired with 像 before a noun or noun phrase for the comparison.
For a negative sentence, 不 (bù) is placed before 像 (xiàng).
PATTERN
Subject + 看起来 + (不 +) 像 + Noun/Noun Phrase
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FAQs
What does 看起来 mean?
看起来 (kàn qǐ lái) can mean:
– Looks as if
– Gives the impression that
– Appears
– Seems/looks like
What are some example with 看起来?
– 看起来要下雨。kàn qǐ lái yào xià yǔ. It looks like it’s going to rain.
– 你看起来像我的前男友。nǐ kàn qǐ lái xiàng wǒ de qián nányǒu. You look like my ex-boyfriend.
– 我看起来怎么样？wǒ kàn qǐ lái zěnmeyàng? How do I look?
– 你的狗看起来很凶。nǐ de gǒu kàn qǐ lái hěn xiōng. Your dog looks fierce.
– 你看起来像一个聪明的人。nǐ kàn qǐlái xiàng yīgè cōngmíng de rén. You seem like a smart person.
How do you pronounce 看起来？
看起来 is pronounced kàn qǐ lái.
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