TL;DR
- -아/어 보이다 attaches to descriptive verbs (adjectives) to express how something looks or appears to you 👀
- It's formed by taking the verb stem + 아/어 + 보이다, following the same vowel harmony rules as regular 아/어 conjugation 🎨
- This grammar is all about visual impressions and subjective observations, not facts you know for certain! 🤔
What does -아/어 보이다 mean? 🧐
This pattern means "looks/appears/seems" and is used when you're making a judgment based on what you see with your eyes! 👁️
It's like saying "it looks happy" instead of "it is happy" — you're commenting on the appearance, not stating a fact ✨
How to form it 🔨
Take a descriptive verb stem + -아/어 + 보이다
The vowel harmony rules are the same as regular 아/어 conjugation! 🌈
- ㅏ/ㅗ vowels → use -아 보이다
- All other vowels → use -어 보이다
- 하다 verbs → -해 보이다
Examples 💜
→ 피곤해 보여요.
(You) look tired. 😴
→ 그 음식이 맛있어 보여요.
That food looks delicious. 🍕
→ 오늘 기분이 좋아 보이네요!
You look like you're in a good mood! 😊
→ 저 가방이 비싸 보여요.
That bag looks expensive. 👜
→ 날씨가 춥어 보여요.
The weather looks cold. ❄️
→ 그 사람은 친절해 보여요.
That person seems kind. 🥰
→ 영화가 재미있어 보였어요.
The movie looked interesting. 🎬
Key Points to Remember 📝
Only works with descriptive verbs! 🚨
You can't use this with action verbs — it's specifically for describing how things look based on their state or quality!
It's subjective! 🎭
This is YOUR impression based on what you see, not an objective fact. That's why it's perfect for polite observations! 💭
Can be used in past tense too! ⏰
Just conjugate 보이다 normally: 보였어요, 보일 거예요, etc. 🕐
Exceptions ⚠️
하얗다 (white) and 까맣다 (black) have irregular forms! 🎨
- 하얗다 → 하얘 보여요 (NOT 하야워 보여요) ⚪
- 까맣다 → 까매 보여요 (NOT 까마워 보여요) ⚫
Different from -는/(으)ㄴ 것 같다! 🤓
While both express uncertainty, -아/어 보이다 is specifically about visual appearance, whereas -(으)ㄴ 것 같다 is about general guessing or thinking! 💡
Try the following exercise.
Complete the sentences using -아/어 보이다 to describe how something appears. 👀
- 그 사람은 _. (피곤하다)
Answer
피곤해 보여요
- 오늘 날씨가 _. (춥다)
Answer
추워 보여요
- 이 음식은 _. (맛있다)
Answer
맛있어 보여요
- 선생님이 _. (바쁘다)
Answer
바빠 보여요
- 저 가방은 _. (비싸다)
Answer
비싸 보여요
- 그 영화는 _. (재미없다)
Answer
재미없어 보여요
- 동생이 _. (행복하다)
Answer
행복해 보여요
- 이 문제는 _. (어렵다)
Answer
어려워 보여요
- 친구가 _. (슬프다)
Answer
슬퍼 보여요
- 저 건물은 _. (오래되다)
Answer
오래돼 보여요 / 오래된 것 같아 보여요
Vocabulary
- 피곤하다 - to be tired
- 춥다 - to be cold
- 맛있다 - to be delicious
- 바쁘다 - to be busy
- 비싸다 - to be expensive
- 재미없다 - to be boring
- 행복하다 - to be happy
- 어렵다 - to be difficult
- 슬프다 - to be sad
- 오래되다 - to be old (things)
Common mistakes
- 🚫 Don't forget vowel harmony: verbs ending in ㅏ/ㅗ use -아 보이다, all others use -어 보이다
- 🚫 Remember that 하다 verbs become 해 보이다 (not 하여 보이다)
- 🚫 This pattern is only for appearance/impression based on what you see - don't use it for facts you know for certain
- 🚫 Don't confuse -아/어 보이다 (looks like) with -아/어 보다 (try doing)