📘 Grammar 20: How to Use ~아/어 보이다 – Describing Appearances in Korean

📘 How to Use ~아/어 보이다 – Describing Appearances in Korean

Want to say “He looks tired”, “It seems delicious”, or “She looks happy” in Korean?

Then you’ll need to learn the Korean expression ~아/어 보이다 – a natural way to describe how something or someone appears based on what you see.

In this post, we’ll cover how to use this grammar correctly, with conjugation tips, example sentences, and usage comparisons with other expressions.

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🔍 What Does ~아/어 보이다 Mean?

~아/어 보이다 means:

• “to look…”
• “to appear…”
• “seems (based on appearance)”

It is used after a descriptive verb (adjective) to express how someone or something appears to you visually.

Examples:

• 피곤하다 → 피곤해 보이다 – to look tired
• 행복하다 → 행복해 보이다 – to look happy
• 맛있다 → 맛있어 보이다 – to look delicious

🔤 Conjugation Rule

• If the adjective stem ends in ㅏ or ㅗ → use ~아 보이다
• If it ends in other vowels → use ~어 보이다
• If it’s 하다 → use 해 보이다

Structure:
Adjective stem + 아/어 보이다-

📊 Grammar Summary Table

Adjective	보이다 Form	Meaning	Romanization
피곤하다	피곤해 보이다	looks tired	pi-gon-hae bo-i-da
기쁘다	기뻐 보이다	looks happy	gi-ppeo bo-i-da
맛있다	맛있어 보이다	looks delicious	ma-sit-eo bo-i-da
재미있다	재미있어 보이다	looks fun	jae-mi-it-eo bo-i-da

📘 Example Sentences

• 그 사람은 피곤해 보여요 – He looks tired
  geu sa-ram-eun pi-gon-hae bo-yeo-yo
• 이 음식은 맛있어 보여요 – This food looks delicious
  i eum-sik-eun ma-sit-eo bo-yeo-yo
• 오늘 기분이 좋아 보여요 – You look like you're in a good mood today
  o-neul gi-bun-i jo-a bo-yeo-yo
• 그 영화 재미있어 보여요 – That movie looks fun
  geu yeong-hwa jae-mi-it-eo bo-yeo-yo

📌 Tip: Difference Between ~아/어 보이다 and ~는 것 같다

• ~아/어 보이다 – Based on what you see visually
• ~는 것 같다 – Based on feeling, context, or experience

Compare:

• 행복해 보이다 – He looks happy (you can see it)
• 행복한 것 같아요 – I think he’s happy (you’re assuming)

❗ Common Mistakes

• ❌ 피곤보이다 → ✅ 피곤해 보이다
• ❌ 맛있다 보이다 → ✅ 맛있어 보이다
• Always conjugate the adjective correctly before adding 보이다!

🧪 Mini Quiz – Test Yourself!

1. How do you say “She looks happy”?
   a) 행복한 보이다
   b) 행복해 보이다
   
   Click to Show Answer

   ✅ b) 행복해 보이다

2. Translate: “This cake looks delicious.”
   a) 이 케이크 맛있다 보이다
   b) 이 케이크 맛있어 보여요
   
   Click to Show Answer

   ✅ b) 이 케이크 맛있어 보여요

3. What’s the difference between 보이다 and 같다?
   a) 같다 is for visual things
   b) 보이다 is for what you see; 같다 is for guesses
   
   Click to Show Answer

   ✅ b) 보이다 is for what you see; 같다 is for guesses

✅ Conclusion

Now you can naturally describe what something or someone looks like in Korean using ~아/어 보이다!

• Attach it to adjective stems to express appearance
• Use with ~해 보이다 for 하다-type adjectives
• Compare with ~는 것 같다 for deeper meaning or assumptions

Practice by saying:

• “You look happy today” → 오늘 행복해 보여요
• “That dish looks spicy” → 저 음식 매워 보여요

📘 Coming Up Next

Next lesson: How to Use ~고 있다 – Present Progressive in Korean
Learn how to say “I am eating”, “She is working”, and more with this everyday grammar!

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