看起来 · 看上去
looks…; seems…
Structure
主语 + 看起来／看上去 + （很／有点儿） + 形容词
What it means
Both mean “looks…, seems…”: they give your impression of someone or something.
How it is built
Subject + 看起来／看上去 + (很／有点儿) + adjective: 他看起来很年轻 (he looks young). 这个菜看上去不太好吃 (this dish doesn’t look very nice).
When to use it
看上去 is about what you can see; 看起来 can also judge a whole situation: 看起来要下雨了 (looks like rain). A close cousin is 显得 (xiǎn de), “come across as”, often because of something: 穿这件衣服显得很年轻.
Watch out
Plain 看 means “look at”, not “look (tired)”: ✗ 他看很累 ✓ 他看起来很累.
Examples
他看起来很年轻。
He looks young.
这个菜看上去不太好吃，其实特别好吃。
This dish doesn’t look very nice, but it’s actually delicious.
看起来要下雨了，带上伞吧。
Looks like it’s going to rain. Take an umbrella.
Learn this in HSK 3 · Lesson 15: 看京剧 (A night at the opera)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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