Comparing "kanqilai" and "kanlai"

Both 看起来 (kànqǐlái) and 看来 (kànlái) have the meanings, "it looks like" and "to seem," but they are used in different ways. Whereas 看起来 indicates a reaction to a physical sight, 看来 expresses a user's understanding of a situation.

看起来 Describes a Physical Appearance

看起来 is used to describe physical appearances. In other words, one can use 看起来 to literally describe what something "looks like."

Structure

Subj. + 看起来 ⋯⋯

Examples

• 女儿 今天 看起来 很 开心 。Nǚér jīntiān kànqǐlái hěn kāixīn.Our daughter looks really happy today.
• 这 道 菜 看起来 很 好吃。Zhè dào cài kànqǐlái hěn hǎochī.This dish looks really tasty.
• 这 两 件 衣服 看起来 差不多 一样 。Zhè liǎng jiàn yīfu kànqǐlái chàbuduō yīyàng.These two pieces of clothing look pretty much the same.
• 老板 最近 太 忙 了，他 看起来 很 累。Lǎobǎn zuìjìn tài máng le, tā kànqǐlái hěn lèi.The boss has been too busy lately. He looks really tired.

看起来 + 像 for Direct Visual Comparisons

看起来 can also be used to express how something "looks like" something else. But unlike the previous usage of 看起来, and with the help of 像, we can explicitly state what the object looks like.

Structure

Subj. + 看起来 + 像 ⋯⋯

Examples

• 你 姐姐 真 漂亮 ！看起来 像 明星 。Nǐ jiějie zhēn piàoliang! Kànqǐlái xiàng míngxīng.Your sister is so pretty! She looks like a celebrity.
• 他 看起来 像 不 像 我 的 那个 朋友 ？Tā kànqǐlái xiàng bu xiàng wǒ de nàge péngyou?Does he look like that friend of mine?
• 这 件 事 看起来 像 骗 人 的 。Zhè jiàn shì kànqǐlái xiàng piàn rén de .This thing looks like it's meant to deceive people.
• 他们 看起来 不 像 好 人 。Tāmen kànqǐlái bù xiàng hǎo rén.They don't look like good people.

看来 When Assessing a Situation

看来 can be used by a speaker to indicate his/her understanding of a situation. Note that 看来 is used in a manner, such that the speaker isn't necessarily indicating the physical appearance of anything. Rather, 看来 employs more of an abstract reading for how a situation "seems like."

Structure

看来 + Perspective

Examples

• 雨 这么 大，看来 他 不 来 了。Yǔ zhème dà, Kànlái tā bù lái le.It seems he's not coming. It's already so late.
• 这 家 餐厅 人 很 少， 看来 不 太 好吃。zhè jiā cāntīng rén hěn shǎo, Kànlái bù tài hǎochī.There aren't many people at this restaurant. It seems the food isn't good.
• 现在 看来，他 没有 那么 喜欢 你。Xiànzài kànlái, tā méiyǒu nàme xǐhuān nǐ. It seems now that he's just not that into you.

看来 as "From X's Perspective"

看来 also holds the form of expressing one's perspective. A more literal translation would be "the way one sees it..." The full form is mainly used in formal writing and speaking.

在 + Person + 看来 + Perspective

Examples

• 在 我 看来，最 好 的 办法 是 大家 一起 合作。zài wǒ Kànlái, zuì hǎo de bànfǎ shì dàjiā yīqǐ hézuò.The way I see it, people who won't spend money aren't going to enjoy life.
• 在 他 看来，这 件 事情 很 简单。zài tā Kànlái,zhè jiàn shìqing hěn jiǎndān.According to him, the size of the company isn't important. What's important is whether or not the boss is good.

See Also

• Comparing "xiande" and "kanqilai"
• Appearance with "kanqilai"
• Assessing situations with "kanlai"