Overview
The expression 는/(으)ㄴ/(으)ㄹ 것 같다 is a fundamental grammatical pattern used to express conjecture, assumption, or likelihood about a situation or event. It allows the speaker to convey an impression or an educated guess rather than a definite statement, often based on observation or indirect information. This softens the statement and adds a nuance of politeness or uncertainty.
Usage
는/(으)ㄴ/(으)ㄹ 것 같다 is highly versatile and can be used with action verbs, descriptive verbs (adjectives), and the verb 이다 (to be) to express conjecture across different tenses.
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Present Tense (Action Verbs): Use -는 것 같다 to express that an action seems to be happening now or is generally true.
- Example: 비가 오는 것 같아요. (It seems like it's raining.)
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Present Tense (Descriptive Verbs/Adjectives): Use -(으)ㄴ 것 같다 to express that a state or quality seems to be true now.
- Example: 날씨가 좋은 것 같아요. (The weather seems good.)
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Past Tense (Action Verbs): Use -(으)ㄴ 것 같다 to express that an action seems to have happened or been completed in the past.
- Example: 친구가 집에 간 것 같아요. (My friend seems to have gone home.)
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Past Tense (Descriptive Verbs/Adjectives): Use -았/었/였던 것 같다 to express that a state or quality seems to have been true in the past.
- Example: 그 영화가 재미있었던 것 같아요. (That movie seems to have been interesting.)
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Future Tense (Action Verbs & Descriptive Verbs): Use -(으)ㄹ 것 같다 to express that an action or state seems likely to happen or be true in the future.
- Example: 내일 날씨가 추울 것 같아요. (It seems like the weather will be cold tomorrow.)
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Nouns + 이다 (to be): Use -인 것 같다 (present), -이었/였던 것 같다 (past), or -일 것 같다 (future) to express conjecture about a noun's identity or state.
- Example: 저 사람이 선생님인 것 같아요. (That person seems to be a teacher.)
Conjugation Rules
1. Present Tense
- Action Verbs: Verb stem + 는 것 같다
* 먹다 (to eat) -> 먹는 것 같다 (It seems like [someone] is eating)
* 읽다 (to read) -> 읽는 것 같다 (It seems like [someone] is reading)
- Descriptive Verbs (Adjectives):
* Stem ends in a vowel: Adj stem + ㄴ 것 같다
- 예쁘다 (to be pretty) -> 예쁜 것 같다 (It seems pretty)
- 크다 (to be big) -> 큰 것 같다 (It seems big)
* Stem ends in a consonant: Adj stem + 은 것 같다
- 좋다 (to be good) -> 좋은 것 같다 (It seems good)
- 작다 (to be small) -> 작은 것 같다 (It seems small)
- Nouns + 이다 (to be): Noun + 인 것 같다
* 학생 (student) -> 학생인 것 같다 (It seems like [someone] is a student)
2. Past Tense
- Action Verbs: Verb stem + (으)ㄴ 것 같다
* 먹다 (to eat) -> 먹은 것 같다 (It seems like [someone] ate/has eaten)
* 가다 (to go) -> 가ㄴ 것 같다 (It seems like [someone] went/has gone)
- Descriptive Verbs (Adjectives): Adj stem + 았/었/였던 것 같다
* 예쁘다 (to be pretty) -> 예뻤던 것 같다 (It seems like it was pretty)
* 좋다 (to be good) -> 좋았던 것 같다 (It seems like it was good)
- Nouns + 이다 (to be): Noun + 이었/였던 것 같다
* 학생 (student) -> 학생이었던 것 같다 (It seems like [someone] was a student)
3. Future Tense
- Action Verbs & Descriptive Verbs (Adjectives):
* Stem ends in a vowel: V/Adj stem + ㄹ 것 같다
- 가다 (to go) -> 가ㄹ 것 같다 (It seems like [someone] will go)
- 예쁘다 (to be pretty) -> 예쁘ㄹ 것 같다 (It seems like it will be pretty)
* Stem ends in a consonant: V/Adj stem + 을 것 같다
- 먹다 (to eat) -> 먹을 것 같다 (It seems like [someone] will eat)
- 좋다 (to be good) -> 좋을 것 같다 (It seems like it will be good)
- Nouns + 이다 (to be): Noun + 일 것 같다
* 학생 (student) -> 학생일 것 같다 (It seems like [someone] will be a student)
Irregular Verbs: Apply irregular conjugation rules (e.g., ㄷ irregular, ㅂ irregular, 르 irregular, ㅅ irregular) before attaching 는/(으)ㄴ/(으)ㄹ 것 같다.
Knowledge Plus
- Subjective Conjecture: This expression is used when the speaker is making an inference or guess, not stating a fact. The degree of certainty can vary but is generally not 100%. It's often based on visual cues, sounds, or other indirect evidence.
- Softening Statements: Using 는/(으)ㄴ/(으)ㄹ 것 같다 can soften a statement, making it sound less direct or assertive, which can be more polite in many situations. For example, saying "그것이 맞는 것 같아요" (I think that's right) is softer than "그것이 맞아요" (That's right).
- Comparison with -나 보다: While both express conjecture, -나 보다 is typically used when the speaker has directly observed a situation and is making an inference based on that observation (e.g., 비가 오나 봐요 - Oh, I see it's raining). 는/(으)ㄴ/(으)ㄹ 것 같다 is broader and can be used for inferences based on various types of information, not just direct observation, and often implies a slightly more considered judgment or prediction (e.g., 비가 올 것 같아요 - It looks like it will rain).
- Commonly Contracted: In informal speech, 것 같아요 is often contracted to 거 같아요 (e.g., 비 오는 거 같아요).