Understanding the difference between ‘-아/어 보이다’ and ‘-(으)ㄴ/는 것 같다’ is essential for Korean learners who want to express appearance or assumptions accurately. In this post, you’ll learn how to use both expressions correctly, explore their meanings, structures, and see real-life examples to help you speak Korean more naturally and confidently.
Contents
1. Definition
- ‘-아/어 보이다’ means “to look/seem” based on someone’s appearance or visual impression.
- ‘-(으)ㄴ/는 것 같다’ means “it seems/looks like” or “I think that…” and is used to express the speaker’s subjective assumption or guess, not necessarily based on visual information.
2. Form (Structure)
- ‘-아/어 보이다’
verb stem + 아/어 보이다 - ‘-(으)ㄴ/는 것 같다’
- Past: verb + (으)ㄴ 것 같다
- Present:
- verb + 는 것 같다
- adjective + (으)ㄴ 것 같다
- Future: verb + (으)ㄹ 것 같다
3. Meaning & Usage
1. ‘-아/어 보이다’: To express visible impression
‘-아/어 보이다’ is mainly used with adjectives to describe a visible impression or appearance. It’s used when you express what you see or sense directly with your eyes. It cannot be used with verbs to mean “to seem,” as that would change the meaning to “try to do.”
- 그 여자는 슬퍼 보였어요. (She looked sad.)
- 이 음식은 맛있어 보여요. (This food looks delicious.)
- 그는 오늘 피곤해 보여요. (He looks tired today.)
- 저 강아지는 정말 귀여워 보여요. (That puppy looks really cute.)
- 그 집은 비싸 보여요. (That house looks expensive.)
📌 Note: ‘-아/어 보이다’ is only used for things that can be seen directly, such as emotions, conditions, or appearances.
2. ‘-(으)ㄴ/는 것 같다’: To express subjective assumption or guess
‘-(으)ㄴ/는 것 같다’ is used to express your subjective assumption, guess, or feeling. It can be used with both verbs and adjectives. The form changes depending on the tense and whether it’s used with a verb or adjective.
- Past Tense (동사/형용사 + -았/었던 것 같다):
- 어제 비가 온 것 같아요. (It seems like it rained yesterday.)
- 그는 이미 간 것 같아요. (I think he already left.)
- 시험이 어려웠던 것 같아요. (The test seemed difficult.)
- 누군가 왔던 것 같아요. (It seems like someone came.)
- 어제 먹은 음식이 문제였던 것 같아요. (I think the food I ate yesterday was the problem.)
- Present Tense
- With verbs (동사 + -는 것 같다):
- 밖에 비가 오는 것 같아요. (It seems like it’s raining outside.)
- 그녀는 지금 공부하는 것 같아요. (It seems she’s studying now.)
- 아이들이 놀고 있는 것 같아요. (It seems like the kids are playing.)
- 그는 지금 바쁜 것 같아요. (I think he’s busy now.)
- 친구가 기다리고 있는 것 같아요. (I think my friend is waiting.)
- With adjectives (형용사 + -(으)ㄴ 것 같다):
- 이 음식은 짠 것 같아요. (I think this food is salty.)
- 이 옷은 작은 것 같아요. (I think these clothes are small.)
- 오늘은 추운 것 같아요. (I think it’s cold today.)
- 이 문제는 쉬운 것 같아요. (I think this question is easy.)
- 그 영화는 재미있는 것 같아요. (I think the movie is interesting.)
- With verbs (동사 + -는 것 같다):
- Future Tense (동사/형용사 + -(으)ㄹ 것 같다):
- 비가 올 것 같아요. (It looks like it’s going to rain.)
- 그는 늦을 것 같아요. (I think he’ll be late.)
- 곧 출발할 것 같아요. (They will probably leave soon.)
- 이 영화는 재미있을 것 같아요. (This movie seems like it’ll be fun.)
- 일이 금방 끝날 것 같아요. (It seems the work will finish soon.)
📌 Note: ‘-(으)ㄴ/는 것 같다’ can be used for visible and invisible things, including situations, feelings, and thoughts.
Quick Comparison Example
- 그 사람이 피곤해 보여요. (He looks tired.) → Based on what is seen (appearance).
- 그 사람이 피곤한 것 같아요. (I think he’s tired.) → Based on overall impression (maybe from his words, actions, or appearance).
4. Key Points to Remember
- ‘-아/어 보이다’ is used when you are making a judgment based on appearance.
- ‘-(으)ㄴ/는 것 같다’ is used when expressing a subjective assumption, not always based on what you see.
- ‘보이다’ is often paired with adjectives, while ‘것 같다’ is more flexible and can be used with both verbs and adjectives.
- ‘보이다’ is not used for past/future tenses, unlike ‘것 같다’.
5. Practice Exercises
Fill in the blanks using ‘-아/어 보이다’ or ‘-(으)ㄴ/는 것 같다’.
- 그 남자는 ____. (That man looks angry.)
- 이 사진은 진짜로 ___. (This photo seems to be real.)
- 아이들이 ___. (It looks like the kids are sleepy.)
- 밖에 눈이 ___. (It seems to be snowing outside.)
- 오늘 선생님이 기분이 ___. (The teacher looks happy today.)
- 저 사람은 ___. (That person seems like a foreigner.)
- 이 음식은 너무 ___. (This food looks too spicy.)
- 그 학생이 오늘 학교에 ___. (It seems like that student didn’t come to school today.)
- 지금 회의가 ___ (I think the meeting is starting now.)
- 내일 날씨가 ___. (It looks like the weather will be cold tomorrow.)
6. Answers
- 화나 보여요
- 진짜인 것 같아요
- 졸려 보여요
- 오는 것 같아요
- 좋아 보여요
- 외국인인 것 같아요
- 매워 보여요
- 안 온 것 같아요
- 시작하는 것 같아요
- 추울 것 같아요
7. Common Mistakes and Tips
⚠️ Mistake 1: Using ‘-아/어 보이다’ with actions
Incorrect: 그는 열심히 일해 보여요. ❌ (He looks like he works hard.)
Correct: 그는 열심히 일하는 것 같아요. ✅ (He seems to work hard.)
💡 Tip: ‘보이다’ should be used with adjectives, not actions. For actions, use ‘-(으)ㄴ/는 것 같다’.
⚠️ Mistake 2: Mixing past tense with ‘보이다’
Incorrect: 그는 피곤해 보였던 것 같아요. ❌ (It looked like he was tired.)
Correct: 그는 피곤했던 것 같아요. ✅ (I think he was tired.)
💡 Tip: Don’t mix tense particles with ‘보이다’. Use ‘것 같다’ for past or future impressions.
보이다’ can be used in the past tense by itself, such as ‘피곤해 보였다’ (He looked tired). However, combining ‘보이다’ with ‘것 같다’ in the past tense, like ‘보였던 것 같다’, is unnatural.
⚠️ Mistake 3: Using ‘보이다’ for hearsay or non-visual guesses
Incorrect: 그녀는 결혼한 것처럼 보여요. ❌ (She looks like she’s married.)
Correct: 그녀는 결혼한 것 같아요. ✅ (I think she’s married.)
💡 Tip: If the guess is not based on appearance, use ‘것 같다’. ‘보이다’ should only be used for impressions based on what you can actually see.
While ‘-아/어 보이다’ and ‘-(으)ㄴ/는 것 같다’ can both express impressions, their nuances are different. Use ‘-아/어 보이다’ when your judgment is based on visual clues, and ‘-(으)ㄴ/는 것 같다’ when making a broader assumption or guess. Understanding the difference will help you express yourself more naturally and accurately in Korean.