📘 Grammar 19: How to Use ~는 것 같다 – Expressing Assumption or Guess in Korean

📘 How to Use ~는 것 같다 – Expressing Assumption or Guess in Korean

Want to say “I think it’s raining”, “She seems tired”, or “It looks delicious” in Korean?

In Korean, the most natural way to express guesses, assumptions, and impressions is by using ~는 것 같다.

This grammar pattern is used daily by native speakers to express what they think, feel, or assume, and it’s essential for sounding polite and natural!

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🧠 What Does ~는 것 같다 Mean?

~는 것 같다 means:

• “I think…”
• “It seems like…”
• “It looks like…”

It expresses a guess or an assumption based on what you see, hear, or feel.

🔤 Conjugation Rule

• Action verbs (present tense): verb stem + 는 것 같다
• Descriptive verbs (present tense): verb stem + 은/ㄴ 것 같다
• Past tense (all verbs): past tense form + 것 같다
• Future tense: verb stem + 을/ㄹ 것 같다

📊 Grammar Summary Table

Verb	Tense	Form	Meaning	Romanization
가다	Present	가는 것 같아요	I think (he) is going	ga-neun geot ga-ta-yo
예쁘다	Present	예쁜 것 같아요	She seems pretty	ye-ppeun geot ga-ta-yo
먹다	Past	먹은 것 같아요	I think (he) ate	meok-eun geot ga-ta-yo
오다	Future	올 것 같아요	I think (he) will come	ol geot ga-ta-yo

📘 Example Sentences

• 비가 오는 것 같아요 – I think it’s raining
  bi-ga o-neun geot ga-ta-yo
• 그 사람이 피곤한 것 같아요 – That person seems tired
  geu sa-ram-i pi-gon-han geot ga-ta-yo
• 맛있는 것 같아요 – I think it’s delicious
  ma-sit-neun geot ga-ta-yo
• 늦을 것 같아요 – I think I will be late
  neu-jeul geot ga-ta-yo
• 그녀는 어제 온 것 같아요 – I think she came yesterday
  geu-nyeo-neun eo-je on geot ga-ta-yo

💬 How to Sound Polite

Use these endings to be more polite:

• 것 같아 → casual
• 것 같아요 → polite
• 것 같습니다 → formal

❗ Common Mistakes

• ❌ 비가 오는 같다 → ✅ 비가 오는 것 같다
• ❌ 예쁘는 것 같아요 → ✅ 예쁜 것 같아요
• Don’t forget to add “것” before 같다!

📌 Tip: Combine with ~같이 보여요

• 행복한 것 같아요 – I think (she) is happy
• 행복해 보여요 – She looks happy

They are similar but ~같아요 is used more for inner thoughts, ~보여요 for visual impressions.

🧪 Mini Quiz – Test Yourself!

1. How do you say “I think he is going” in Korean?
   a) 가는 같다
   b) 가는 것 같아요
   
   Click to Show Answer

   ✅ b) 가는 것 같아요

2. Translate: “She seems tired.”
   a) 그녀는 피곤한 것 같아요
   b) 그녀는 피곤해 보이다
   
   Click to Show Answer

   ✅ a) 그녀는 피곤한 것 같아요

3. Which is correct for “I think I will be late”?
   a) 늦는 것 같아요
   b) 늦을 것 같아요
   
   Click to Show Answer

   ✅ b) 늦을 것 같아요

✅ Conclusion

Now you can express your assumptions, guesses, and impressions in Korean using ~는 것 같다!

• Use ~는 것 같다 for present actions (가는 것 같다)
• Use ~은/ㄴ 것 같다 for present descriptive verbs (예쁜 것 같다)
• Use ~은 것 같다 for past (먹은 것 같다)
• Use ~을/ㄹ 것 같다 for future (올 것 같다)

Practice saying what you see, think, or feel in Korean using this grammar:

• “I think he is sick” → 아픈 것 같아요
• “I think it will snow” → 눈이 올 것 같아요

📘 Coming Up Next

Next lesson: How to Use ~아/어 보이다 – Describing Appearances and Impressions
Learn how to say things like “He looks tired” or “It looks difficult” with ~아/어 보이다!

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