You look tired (It looks/seems ~)

These two patterns help you describe your impressions and how actions are performed. ~아/어 보이다 is for saying how something "looks" or "seems," while ~게 turns an adjective into an adverb to describe "how" something is done.

Meaning & Usage

~아/어 보이다 (looks/seems ~): Use this when you are making a guess or stating your impression based on visual appearance. It attaches to adjective stems. For example, if your friend hasn't slept, you can say 피곤해 보여요 (You look tired).

~게 (adverbial form): Use this to modify a verb, explaining the manner in which an action is performed. It attaches to adjective stems and effectively means "-ly" in English. For example, to ask someone to write in a large font, you can say 크게 써 주세요 (Please write it big/largely).

Conjugation Rules

~아/어 보이다:

If the last vowel of the adjective stem is ㅏ or ㅗ, add ~아 보이다. (e.g., 좋다 → 좋아 보이다; 작다 → 작아 보이다)

If the last vowel is anything else, add ~어 보이다. (e.g., 맛있다 → 맛있어 보이다; 길다 → 길어 보이다)

For 하다 adjectives, it becomes ~해 보이다. (e.g., 피곤하다 → 피곤해 보이다; 행복하다 → 행복해 보이다)

~게:

Simply attach ~게 to the adjective stem, regardless of whether it ends in a vowel or a consonant. (e.g., 예쁘다 → 예쁘게; 조용하다 → 조용하게; 작다 → 작게)

Vowel/Consonant + 아/어 보이다 / Vowel/Consonant + 게

A common mistake for learners is using ~아/어 보이다 for non-visual senses. This pattern is strictly for impressions you get from seeing something.

Don't Use It for Facts

Context: ~아/어 보이다 implies a guess or an impression. If you know something for a fact, don't use it. For example, if you are looking at a price tag that says ₩1,000,000, the jacket is expensive, it doesn't just look expensive.

Example: Say 이 재킷은 비싸요 (This jacket is expensive) if you know the price. Say 이 재킷은 비싸 보여요 (This jacket looks expensive) if you are guessing based on the design and material.

Don't Use It for Sound, Taste, or Feeling

Context: You can't say a song "looks" exciting. For other senses, you need different expressions. For sound, you can use ~게 들리다 (sounds ~ly). For taste or other general feelings, ~(으)ㄴ/는 것 같다 (it seems/I think) is a more versatile choice.