Japanese from zero · N4 Lesson 11
It looks like…
〜そう ・ 〜ようだ ・ 〜に 見える ・ 〜そうな 顔
In this lesson, you will learn to say how people and things look: that a friend looks sad or that rain looks about to start (〜そう), what seems to be true from what you notice (〜ようだ), and how someone looks to you (〜に 見える). You will also describe the look on someone's face, the way Lisa does when Minju goes quiet.
By the end you will be able to say
雨が 降りそうです。It looks like it's going to rain.
ミンジュは 悲しそうな 顔を して います。Minju has a sad look on her face.
今日は 元気が ないようですね。You seem a bit down today.
あの 人は 学生に 見えます。That person looks like a student.
毎日が 夢のようです。Every day is like a dream.
The grammar in this lesson
- Looks (about to): 〜そう, 〜そうな, 〜そうに — A stem + そう says how something looks to you, or that something looks about to happen.
- Seems, like: 〜ようだ, 〜ような, 〜ように — ようだ says what seems true from what you notice; ような and ように compare one thing to another.
- Looks like: 〜に 見える, 〜く 見える — 見える with に (nouns, な-adjectives) or く (い-adjectives) says how someone looks to you.
- The look on a face: 〜そうな 顔を して いる — そうな + 顔を して いる describes the look on someone's face.