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Grammar / Level 2 / Lesson 38

ㄹ/을 것 같다, 는 것 같다, 아/어 보이다: it seems

By Daniel Buckley · 11 minute read · TOPIK 2

Vocabulary

  1. 같다 - to be the same, to be like
  2. 보이다 - to be seen, to look
  3. 아마 - probably
  4. 피곤하다 - to be tired
  5. 막히다 - to be blocked (a road)
  6. 우산 - umbrella
  7. 기분 - mood, feeling
  8. 벌써 - already
  9. 비싸다 - to be expensive
  10. 재미있다 - to be fun, to be interesting

You're invited out on Saturday and you can't go. English softens that with "I don't think I can make it". Korean says 못 갈 것 같아요, and it may be the most useful sentence at this level.

It's the 것 from lesson 32 plus 같다, to be like. 비가 올 것 같아요 is roughly "it's like a rain-will-come thing". You're saying how things look to you without claiming they're so, and Korean does this a lot, even with your own opinions.

Building the form

What you change is the modifier in front of 것, the same one you used with 는 것. It says when the thing you're guessing about happens.

Making 것 같다

  • Hasn't happened yet: ㄹ/을 것 같다.가다 → 갈 것 같아요먹다 → 먹을 것 같아요
  • Happening now, verbs: 는 것 같다.가다 → 가는 것 같아요먹다 → 먹는 것 같아요
  • Already happened, verbs: ㄴ/은 것 같다.가다 → 간 것 같아요먹다 → 먹은 것 같아요
  • True now, adjectives: ㄴ/은 것 같다.비싸다 → 비싼 것 같아요좋다 → 좋은 것 같아요
  • 있다 and 없다 words: 는 것 같다.맛있다 → 맛있는 것 같아요없다 → 없는 것 같아요
  • Nouns: 인 것 같다.학생 → 학생인 것 같아요

※ In speech 것 usually shortens to 거: 갈 거 같아요. You'll see that in text messages too, and it means the same.

Pick a verb

가다가갈 것 같아요

Before, during and after

The modifier places the event in time. These three could be about the same rain on the same afternoon. Only what you can see has changed.

  1. 비가 올 것 같아요.

    Rain seems like it will come. (The sky is dark.)

  2. 비가 오는 것 같아요.

    Rain seems to be coming. (People have umbrellas up.)

  3. 비가 온 것 같아요.

    Rain seems to have come. (The ground is wet.)

  1. 오늘은 길이 막힐 것 같아요.

    Today road seems like it will be blocked.

  2. 친구가 지금 자는 것 같아요.

    Friend now seems to be sleeping.

  3. 친구가 벌써 간 것 같아요.

    Friend already seems to have gone.

  4. 저 사람은 학생인 것 같아요.

    That person seems to be a student.

With adjectives the split is usually about what you know. Before you've seen a film, it's 재미있을 것 같아요, I expect it'll be fun. Halfway through, or just out of the cinema, it's 재미있는 것 같아요.

  1. 이 영화는 재미있을 것 같아요.

    This movie seems like it will be fun.

  2. 이 영화는 재미있는 것 같아요.

    This movie seems to be fun.

  3. 이 가방은 비쌀 것 같아요.

    This bag seems like it will be expensive.

  4. 이 가방은 비싼 것 같아요.

    This bag seems to be expensive.

Pick a verb

가다가간 것 같아요

Put the past on 같다 and the guess itself is in the past: 비가 올 것 같았어요, it seemed like it would rain. 아마, probably, often goes in front: 아마 비가 올 것 같아요.

※ 비가 올 거예요 is also a guess, but it sounds surer of itself. 올 것 같아요 admits you're only going by appearances.

Softening what you think

This is where Korean parts ways with English. People use 것 같다 about things they know perfectly well, so that an opinion doesn't land as a verdict. 좀 비싸요 states a fact. 좀 비싼 것 같아요 leaves the other person some room.

  1. 이게 더 좋은 것 같아요.

    This seems more good.

  2. 좀 비싼 것 같아요.

    (It) seems a little expensive.

  3. 제가 잘못한 것 같아요.

    I seem to have done wrong.

  4. 그런 것 같아요.

    (It) seems so.

  5. 아닌 것 같아요.

    (It) seems not.

  6. 오늘은 못 갈 것 같아요.

    Today (it) seems (I) can't go.

Examples 4 and 5 are the everyday "I think so" and "I don't think so". Example 6 is a common way to turn down an invitation. 못 가요 is true but blunt, and 못 갈 것 같아요 says the same thing more gently.

아/어 보이다: it looks

보이다, to be seen, comes from the passive lesson. After the 아/어 form of an adjective it means "looks". You're reporting what meets the eye and nothing more.

Making 아/어 보이다

  • Take the 해요 form of an adjective, drop 요, add a space and 보이다.피곤해요 → 피곤해 보여요맛있어요 → 맛있어 보여요
  • 보이다 takes the endings as usual.피곤해 보였어요맛있어 보이는 빵

  1. 오늘 피곤해 보여요.

    Today (you) look tired.

  2. 이 빵이 맛있어 보여요.

    This bread looks delicious.

  3. 이 가방은 비싸 보여요.

    This bag looks expensive.

  4. 친구가 바빠 보였어요.

    Friend looked busy.

  5. 기분이 안 좋아 보여요.

    Mood looks not good.

  6. 어려워 보이는 책을 샀어요.

    (I) bought a book that looks difficult.

Pick a verb

피곤하다피곤해요피곤해 보여요

피곤해 보여요 is about what you can see. 피곤한 것 같아요 is your conclusion, and it could come from a yawn or from a message sent at 3 a.m.

※ Don't mix this up with 아/어 보다, trying something. 먹어 봐요 is "try eating", and 맛있어 보여요 is "looks delicious". With a noun you need 처럼, as in 학생처럼 보여요, from Degree and likeness.

ㄹ/을 수도 있다: it might

You know ㄹ/을 수 있다, can: 수 is a way, and 있다 says it exists. Add 도, also, and the sentence says this is one way things could go. That's how Korean says "might".

It doesn't lean either way, and that's what separates it from 것 같다. 비가 올 것 같아요 means you expect rain. 비가 올 수도 있어요 means only that rain isn't ruled out. ㄹ/을지도 몰라요 is close to it in meaning.

Making ㄹ/을 수도 있다

  • Take ㄹ/을 수 있다 and put 도 after 수.가다 → 갈 수도 있어요먹다 → 먹을 수도 있어요
  • Might have: add 을 수도 있다 to the 았/었 stem.가다 → 갔을 수도 있어요먹다 → 먹었을 수도 있어요

Pick a verb

가다가갈 수도 있어요

  1. 내일 늦을 수도 있어요.

    Tomorrow (I) might be late.

  2. 비가 올 수도 있어요.

    Rain might come.

  3. 시험이 어려울 수도 있어요.

    Exam might be difficult.

  4. 친구가 벌써 갔을 수도 있어요.

    Friend might have already gone.

  5. 그럴 수도 있어요.

    (It) might be so.

Example 5 is a handy reply. It's "could be", and when someone apologises for a small mistake, it's also "these things happen".

Which one?

Put one plate of food in front of you and each form says something different.

  1. 맛있어 보여요.

    (It) looks delicious. (You're looking at it.)

  2. 맛있을 것 같아요.

    (It) seems like it will be delicious. (You haven't tried it.)

  3. 맛있는 것 같아요.

    (It) seems delicious. (You've had a bite.)

  4. 맛있을 수도 있어요.

    (It) might be delicious. (You have no idea.)

  1. 하늘이 어두워요. 비가 ___.

    The sky is dark. It looks like it's going to rain.

  2. 와, 이 빵 ___!

    Wow, this bread looks delicious!

  3. 친구가 안 와요. 길이 ___.

    My friend isn't here. The road might be blocked, who knows.

  4. 입어 봤어요. 이 옷은 저한테 좀 ___.

    I've tried it on. I think these clothes are a bit small for me.

Listen and type

1 / 3

Play it as often as you like.

In a conversation

A

오늘 저녁에 같이 영화 볼래요?

Today evening together movie want to see?

B

미안해요. 오늘은 일이 많아서 못 갈 것 같아요.

Sorry. Today work is a lot, so (it) seems can't go.

A

그래요? 정말 피곤해 보여요.

Is that so? Really tired (you) look.

B

네, 좀 피곤해요. 내일은 괜찮을 것 같아요.

Yes, a little tired. Tomorrow fine seems like it will be.

A

그럼 내일 봐요. 비가 올 수도 있어요. 우산 가져오세요.

Then tomorrow see. Rain might come. Umbrella please bring.

Common mistakes

  1. 이 식당은 맛있은 것 같아요.

    이 식당은 맛있는 것 같아요.

    있다 and 없다 words take 는, even though 맛있다 translates as an adjective.

  2. 이 빵이 맛있어 봐요.

    이 빵이 맛있어 보여요.

    "Looks" is 보이다. 보다 after the 아/어 form means trying something, and an adjective isn't something you try.

  3. 저 사람은 학생 것 같아요.

    저 사람은 학생인 것 같아요.

    학생 것 is "a student's thing". A noun needs 이다, which becomes 인 before 것.

Check yourself

Quick check

1 / 6

비가 ___. (오다, use 것 같다) It looks like it's going to rain.

It hasn't happened yet.

Summary

ㄹ/을 것 같아요 forms
DictionaryStemㄹ/을 것 같아요
가다가갈 것 같아요
먹다먹먹을 것 같아요
듣다듣들을 것 같아요
살다살살 것 같아요
춥다춥추울 것 같아요
는 것 같아요 forms
DictionaryStem는 것 같아요
가다가가는 것 같아요
먹다먹먹는 것 같아요
듣다듣듣는 것 같아요
살다살사는 것 같아요
맛있다맛있맛있는 것 같아요
아/어 보여요 forms
Dictionary해요아/어 보여요
피곤하다피곤해요피곤해 보여요
맛있다맛있어요맛있어 보여요
비싸다비싸요비싸 보여요
어렵다어려워요어려워 보여요

What each one says

  • ㄹ/을 것 같다: I expect so, or I'm afraid so.
  • 는 것 같다, ㄴ/은 것 같다: it seems that way now, or it seems to have happened.
  • 아/어 보이다: it looks that way.
  • ㄹ/을 수도 있다: it might, or it might not.

Now you can say

  1. 오늘은 못 갈 것 같아요.

    Today (it) seems (I) can't go.

  2. 이 빵이 맛있어 보여요.

    This bread looks delicious.

  3. 내일 늦을 수도 있어요.

    Tomorrow (I) might be late.

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