Appearance with "kanqilai"

One of the most common ways to express "it looks like" is to use 看起来 (kànqǐlái). This is what we would use if we wanted to express something like, "she looks tired."

Basic Pattern

Structure

Subj. + 看起来 + Predicate

Examples

• 蛋糕 看 起来 很 好吃 。Dàngāo kàn qǐlái hěn hǎochī.This cake looks really tasty.
• 这 家 餐厅 看 起来 不错。Zhè jiā cāntīng kàn qǐlái bùcuò.This restaurant looks good.
• 你 男朋友 看 起来 很 成熟 。Nǐ nánpéngyou kàn qǐlái hěn chéngshú.Your boyfriend seems very mature.
• 老板 看 起来 有点 不 高兴 。Lǎobǎn kàn qǐlái yǒudiǎn bù gāoxìng.The boss seems a little unhappy.
• 你 的 新 发型 和 原来 的 发型 看 起来 差不多 。Nǐ de xīn fàxíng hé yuánlái de fàxíng kàn qǐlái chàbuduō.Your new haircut looks pretty much the same with the old one.

Used with 像

Structure

Subj. + 看起来 + 像 + Predicate

Examples

• 你 妈妈 看 起来 像 你 姐姐 。Nǐ māma kàn qǐlai xiàng nǐ jiějie.Your mother looks like your elder sister.
• 他 哥哥 看 起来 像 电影 明星 。 Tā gēge kàn qǐlai xiàng diànyǐng míngxīng.His elder brother looks like a movie star.
• 你们 俩 看 起来 像 情侣 。Nǐmen liǎ kàn qǐlai xiàng qínglǚ.You two look like a couple.
• 他们 看 起来 一点也 不 像 有钱 人 。Tāmen kàn qǐlai yīdiǎn yě bù xiàng yǒuqián rén.They don't seem like rich people.
• 那 个 喝醉 的 男人 看 起来 像 你 老公 。Nà gè hēzuì de nánrén kàn qǐlai xiàng nǐ lǎogōng.That drunk guy seems like your husband.

See also

• Result complement "-qilai"
• "It seems" with "haoxiang"
• Further uses of resultative complement "qilai"

Sources and further reading

Books

• Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (pp. 241-2) →buy

Websites

• Using 看 (kàn) and 看起来 (kàn qilai)

Videos

• Yoyo Chinese: "You look Pretty"