看起来 (looks like, appears)

• 拼音: kànqǐlái
• 结构: Subj. + 看起来 + Adj. / Clause
• 汉字拆解: 看 = 手 (hand) + 目 (eye) — shielding eyes to look; 起 = 走 (walk) + 己 (self); 来 = from a pictograph of wheat, now means 'come'

含义

看起来 is placed after a subject to express how something appears or seems based on visual impression. It conveys a subjective observation rather than a confirmed fact.

看起来 literally means 'looking at it' and introduces an impression based on appearance. It functions similarly to 'looks,' 'seems,' or 'appears' in English. The complement 起来 after 看 indicates the onset of a perception or the result of looking. Besides adjectives, 看起来 can precede clauses: 他看起来不太高兴. Related patterns include 听起来 (sounds like) for auditory impressions and 闻起来 (smells like) for olfactory ones — all using the same 起来 complement structure. An important distinction: 看起来 is about visual appearance, while 好像 (seems/as if) can be based on any evidence, not just observation. 看起来 typically appears after the subject and before the predicate.

例句

1. 你今天看起来特别精神。
2. 这道题看起来不太难。
3. 外面的天看起来快要下雨了。

用法指南

语境: spoken, written, everyday

语气: descriptive

正确说法

• 这件大衣看起来很暖和。
• 她今天看起来有点累。
• 这个蛋糕看起来很好吃，我想尝一口。

错误说法

• 他看起来是很高。(Do not insert 是 before the adjective after 看起来 — simply use 看起来 + (很) + adjective) → 他看起来很高。
• 昨天她看起来了很累。(Do not add 了 after 看起来 — 看起来 does not take aspect markers; use time words for past reference) → 昨天她看起来很累。

起源与历史

看起来 is a compound directional complement construction. 看 (look) + 起来 (rising up, beginning) together convey the meaning of 'upon looking' or 'when one looks at it,' capturing the moment a visual impression forms.

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal