Meaning
This pattern is used when the speaker makes a judgment based on the external appearance or observable characteristics of something or someone. It expresses how something seems or looks to the observer, often implying that the appearance may differ from reality. The pattern combines with various word types to create expressions like 'appears to be difficult' or 'looks like a different person.'
Formation
| Part of speech | Formation |
|---|---|
| 動詞普通形 | ように見える |
| い形容詞 | ように見える |
| な形容詞 な | ように見える |
| 名詞 の | ように見える |
Examples
-
彼はとても苦しんでいるように見えます。
He appears to be in great pain. -
この問題は易しいように見えますが、実際はそうではそうではありませんでした。
This problem seems easy, but in reality it was not that way. -
ラジさんは日本語が苦手なように見えますが、明日の日本語のスピーチは大丈夫でしょうか。
Raj appears not to be good at Japanese, but will he be okay with tomorrow's Japanese speech contest? -
彼は痩せたから、別人のように見えます。
Since he has lost weight, he looks like a completely different person.
Summary
- ように見える expresses appearance or observation based on external characteristics
- Can be attached to verbs, i-adjectives, na-adjectives (with な), and nouns (with の)
- Often implies the appearance may differ from actual reality, making it useful for contrasting perception with fact