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 kànqǐlái hěn hǎochī.This cake looks really tasty.
• 这 家 餐厅 看起来 不错。Zhè jiā cāntīng kànqǐlái bùcuò.This restaurant looks good.
• 你 男朋友 看起来 很 成熟 。Nǐ nánpéngyou kànqǐlái 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 kànqǐlái chàbuduō.Your new haircut looks pretty much the same with the old one.

Used with 像

Structure

Subj. + 看起来 + 像 + Noun

Examples

• 你 妈妈 看起来 像 你 姐姐 。Nǐ māma kànqǐlái xiàng nǐ jiějie.Your mother looks like your elder sister.
• 他 哥哥 看起来 像 电影 明星 。 Tā gēge kànqǐlái xiàng diànyǐng míngxīng.His elder brother looks like a movie star.
• 你们 俩 看起来 像 情侣 。Nǐmen liǎ kànqǐlái xiàng qínglǚ.You two look like a couple.
• 他们 看起来 一点也 不 像 有钱 人 。Tāmen kànqǐlái 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 kànqǐlái 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"