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看起来 (looks / seems)
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Judging by appearance
- A cake in the bakery window has thick cream and fresh strawberries. You haven't tasted it yet.
- this这个cake蛋糕looks看起来very很to be fond of eating好吃。 — "This cake looks delicious."
Subject + looks看起来 + Adjective
- looks看起来 = "looks, seems (from what I can see)". It goes before the description, and very很 often follows it.
- It reports an impression, not a fact you have checked.
he他looks看起来very很tired累。
Complete: “You look very happy today.” 你今天____很高兴。
Difficulty 1/5 · 100 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
看起来 + Adj reports how someone looks.
Build: “This cake looks delicious.”
Difficulty 3/5 · 200 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
Subject + 看起来 + 很 + Adj.
Other senses: to listen to听(after a verb) indicating…起来, variant of 吃吃(after a verb) indicating…起来, to use / with用(after a verb) indicating…起来
- Sound: this这个idea主意to listen to听(after a verb) indicating…起来good不错。 — "That idea sounds good."
- Taste and use: this这个vegetable菜variant of 吃吃(after a verb) indicating…起来a little有点hot (spicy)辣 — "This dish tastes a bit spicy." this这个cell phone手机to use / with用(after a verb) indicating…起来very很convenient方便 — "This phone is easy to use."
this这个idea主意sounds听起来good不错。
Your friend describes a plan on the phone. You say: “That sounds interesting.” Which fits?
Difficulty 1/5 · 100 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
You heard the plan, so 听起来.
Match each sense verb to its meaning.
Difficulty 2/5 · 140 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
Sense verb + 起来 = comes across as … to that sense.
An impression from the senses
- looks看起来 gives what you see, so it does not prove the cake tastes good; tasting is variant of 吃吃(after a verb) indicating…起来.
- For a guess that is not based on looks (he seems to have left), use seems好像: he他seems好像to walk走(completed / change)了.
looks看起来 versus it would appear看上去 and seems好像
- it would appear看上去 means almost the same as looks看起来 and is common for people's appearance: she / her她it would appear看上去very很young年轻.
- seems好像 is a guess or a comparison: he他seems好像be ill生病(completed / change)了。 — "He seems to be ill (I suspect)."
he他seems好像be ill生病了。
Recap
- looks看起来 + Adj = looks …; to listen to听(after a verb) indicating…起来 = sounds …; variant of 吃吃(after a verb) indicating…起来 = tastes …; to use / with用(after a verb) indicating…起来 = is … to use.
- These give a first impression from one sense. A general guess uses seems好像.
Read the full reference: HSK 3 grammar — Verbs.
A cake in the bakery window has thick cream and fresh strawberries. You haven't tasted it yet. Close the examples. Say a Mandarin response, then write it in Chinese. Explain briefly in English what the lesson’s pattern adds. Compare with the model, then change one detail and try again.
This is supported productive practice. Compare meaning and structure; your answer need not copy the model. A partner or teacher must hear the spoken response to comment on pronunciation.