Lesson 12
Let us look at how to say that someone or something “seems” to be in a certain state or “looks” a certain way. The basic structure, -아/어/여 보이다, is fairly easy to understand and use, but it is important to know the difference between this structure and other similar structures.
Conjugation
Verb stem + -아/어/여 보이다
* 보이다 is originally the passive voice of 보다, to see.
Ex)
재미있다 = to be fun
재미있 + -어 보이다 = 재미있어 보이다 = to look fun, to look interesting
재미있어 보여요. = It looks fun.
재미있어 보여요? = Does it look fun?
Sample Sentences
피곤해 보여요.
= You look tired.
피곤해 보여요. 좀 쉬세요.
= You look tired. Take a break.
피곤해 보여요. 어제 못 잤어요?
= You look tired. Did you not sleep well last night?
이 영화는 재미없어 보여요.
= This movie looks boring.
이거 매워 보이는데, 사실은 하나도 안 매워요.
= This looks spicy, but it is not spicy at all.
이 케이크가 맛있어 보여서 샀는데, 너무 달아요.
= This cake looked delicious so I bought it, but it is too sweet.
사장님 기분이 안 좋아 보이는데, 무슨 일 있어요?
= The boss does not look happy. Is there something wrong?
Difference between 좋아 보이네요 and 좋은 것 같아요
When -아/어/여 보이다 and -(으)ㄴ 것 같다 are used to talk about living things, such as people or animals, they have pretty much the same meaning.
Ex)
사장님 기분이 안 좋아 보이는데, 무슨 일 있어요? = The boss does not look happy. Is there something wrong?
사장님 기분이 안 좋은 것 같은데, 무슨 일 있어요? = I think the boss is upset. Is there something wrong?
However, when using -아/어/여 보이다 and -(으)ㄴ 것 같다 to refer to nonliving things, the usage between the two differs slightly. -아/어/여 보이다 can be used before and after someone finds out about or experiences something, whereas -(으)ㄴ 것 같다 can only be used after someone finds out about or experiences something. If you want to use 것 같다 before you find out about or experience something, you can use -(으)ㄹ 것 같다.
Ex)
이 가방 비싸 보여요.
= This bag looks expensive. (You do not know the price yet.)
= This bag looks expensive (even though it is actually not).
이 가방 비싼 것 같아요. = I think this bag is expensive. (You know how much the bag costs.)
이 가방 비쌀 것 같아요. = I think this bag must be expensive.
이거 매워 보이는데, 사실은 하나도 안 매워요. = This looks spicy (before you eat it), but it is not spicy at all.
이거 매울 것 같았는데, 사실은 하나도 안 매웠어요. = I thought it would be spicy but it was not spicy at all.
Using 보이다 with nouns
With nouns, instead of using -아/어/여 after a verb stem, you must first add -처럼 or -같이 after the noun.
Ex)
학생 = student
학생처럼 보여요. = He looks like a student.
학생같이 보여요. = He looks like a student.
학생 같아요. = He looks like a student, so I think he is a student. / He acts like a student.
Sample Sentences
비둘기처럼 보이네요.
= It looks like a pigeon.
멀어서 잘 안 보이지만, 3처럼 보이네요.
= I cannot see clearly because it is far, but it looks like a three.
경찰처럼 보이는 사람이 그 여자를 데려갔어요.
= Someone who looks like a cop took her.