<p>'<strong>看起来</strong>' means "<strong>seem</strong>" (look like) and it is a verb, same meaning as '<strong>似乎</strong>' (seem)</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seem" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seem</a></p>
  
  <p><strong>seem</strong>:</p>
  
  <p><em>intransitive verb</em></p>
  
  <p>1 : to appear to the observation or understanding</p>
  
  <p>2 : to give the impression of being</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Example:</p>

<p>He <strong>seems</strong> very weak = 他<strong>看起来</strong>很虚弱/ 他<strong>似乎</strong>很虚弱</p>

<p>he <strong>seems</strong> quite angry = 他<strong>看起来</strong>很生气/ 他<strong>似乎</strong>很生气</p>

<p><em>看起来 is usually reduced to 看来 in everyday speech</em></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-02-13T05:54:15.943Z
2019-02-13T06:26:20.443Z
2019-02-13T06:26:20.443Z
Tang Ho
<p>Whereas in English 'look' can be used in a passive sense, very similar to 'seem', I don't believe Chinese 看 is used in that way.</p>

<p>He looks sad.  = He seems sad. (How he 'seems' is my impression, not his active intent, unless of course, he is an actor.) </p>

<p>'look' in an active sense is used, for example, with 'at':</p>

<p>Look at this mess! </p>

<p>The character 看 shows a hand 手 shielding the eyes 目. You might do this on a bright day when you look at something in the distance. Chinese 看 is active:  看起来 = 看上去 = look at.</p>

<p>Chinese 似乎(as if, look like, seem) = 好像(looks like)</p>

<p>To use Tang Ho's example: 他看起来很虚弱。We could also write 看起来他很虚弱。</p>

<p>I would interpret 看起来 in 他看起来很虚弱。 as an imperative: 他看起来 = (if you) look at him.</p>

<p>It is easy to see how, in translation, the confusion between passive 'look' and active 'look' could result in 'He seems frail.'</p>

<p>You will often find 看起来似乎 together: 他看起来似乎很虚弱。which you can also translate as 'If you look at him he looks like he is very frail. ('He seems seems very frail' probably would not win any translation awards!!)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-02-14T07:46:07.467Z
'看来' in '他看来' (he seems like...) and  '看来他' (it seems like he...) are not the same. '看来他' omitted the subject (observer) ; while  '他' in  '他看来' is the subject
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-02-14T04:43:57.303Z
2019-02-14T04:43:57.303Z
Pedroski
<p>Is "看起来" an adverb or a verb? I've been searching all over the internet and I can't find the answer.</p>

<grammar><adverbs>
Which part of speech is 看起来: an adverb or a verb?
# Which part of speech is 看起来: an adverb or a verb?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-02-13)

Is "看起来" an adverb or a verb? I've been searching all over the internet and I can't find the answer.

**Tags:** grammar, adverbs


---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2019-02-13. Score: 2

'**看起来**' means "**seem**" (look like) and it is a verb, same meaning as '**似乎**' (seem)

> <https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seem>
>
> **seem**:
>
> *intransitive verb*
>
> 1 : to appear to the observation or understanding
>
> 2 : to give the impression of being

Example:

He **seems** very weak = 他**看起来**很虚弱/ 他**似乎**很虚弱

he **seems** quite angry = 他**看起来**很生气/ 他**似乎**很生气

*看起来 is usually reduced to 看来 in everyday speech*


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2019-02-14. Score: 1

Whereas in English 'look' can be used in a passive sense, very similar to 'seem', I don't believe Chinese 看 is used in that way.

He looks sad. = He seems sad. (How he 'seems' is my impression, not his active intent, unless of course, he is an actor.)

'look' in an active sense is used, for example, with 'at':

Look at this mess!

The character 看 shows a hand 手 shielding the eyes 目. You might do this on a bright day when you look at something in the distance. Chinese 看 is active: 看起来 = 看上去 = look at.

Chinese 似乎(as if, look like, seem) = 好像(looks like)

To use username_1 Ho's example: 他看起来很虚弱。We could also write 看起来他很虚弱。

I would interpret 看起来 in 他看起来很虚弱。 as an imperative: 他看起来 = (if you) look at him.

It is easy to see how, in translation, the confusion between passive 'look' and active 'look' could result in 'He seems frail.'

You will often find 看起来似乎 together: 他看起来似乎很虚弱。which you can also translate as 'If you look at him he looks like he is very frail. ('He seems seems very frail' probably would not win any translation awards!!)

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: '看来' in '他看来' (he seems like...) and  '看来他' (it seems like he...) are not the same. '看来他' omitted the subject (observer) ; while  '他' in  '他看来' is the subject  

---

