Learn Expressing how something looks: 看起来 (kàn qǐlái) in Mandarin Chinese. Clear HSK 3 grammar explanation with examples in Chinese, pinyin, and English. Free on Dumplingo.
Expressing how something looks: 看起来 (kàn qǐlái) One of the most natural ways to describe how something appears or seems in Chinese is by using 看起来 (kàn qǐlái). This structure is used when you want to give an impression based on what you can see, similar to saying "it looks..." or "someone seems..." in English. Rather than describing a fact, 看起来 often expresses a subjective observation. Basic structure [Subject] + 看起来 + [Adjective / Description] Examples 1. 他看起来很紧张。 Tā kàn qǐlái hěn jǐnzhāng He looks nervous. → The speaker is judging his emotional state based on appearance, not confirming it as a fact. 2. 这家餐厅看起来很贵。 Zhè jiā cāntīng kàn qǐlái hěn guì This restaurant looks expensive. → The speaker has not eaten there yet; this is only an impression. 3. 今天的天气看起来不错。 Jīntiān de tiānqì kàn qǐlái búcuò Today’s weather looks pretty good. → The statement is based on what the speaker can see right now. Important note for learners - 看起来 does not mean something is definitely true. - It only shows how something appears from the speaker’s point of view. Because of this, 看起来 is often used with modifiers like: - 很 (hěn) — very - 有点 (yǒudiǎn) — a bit - 不太 (bù tài) — not very Common mistake ❌ 他是很累。 (This sounds like stating a fact.) ✅ 他看起来很累。 (This sounds natural when judging by appearance.) Key takeaway Use 看起来 when you want to describe: - first impressions - visual judgments - things that seem true but are not confirmed If you want, I can: - pair this with a 短篇阅读 using 看起来 naturally - contrast 看起来 vs 好像 vs 听起来 (great HSK 3–4 bridge) - shorten this into a mobile-friendly grammar card --- Next grammar point: [Expressing experiences with 过 (guò)](/grammar/hsk3/expressing_experiences_with_guo)