Meaning of 看来
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- apparently
- it seems that
How to use 看来
看来 introduces a conclusion you draw from what you observe, and it usually starts the sentence or follows the subject. It often appears with 是 or with phrases like 看来今天. Example: 看来要下雨了。(Kànlái yào xià yǔ le.) It looks like it is going to rain.
看 (kàn) means to look, and 来 (lái) means to come. Picture yourself looking at a situation until a conclusion comes to you: "from what I see, it seems that..."
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 看来 with 看起来 (kàn qǐlai). 看起来 usually describes how something looks, as in 他看起来很累 (he looks tired), while 看来 states the speaker's inference about a whole situation. Also note the dictionary gives kànlai, so 来 is often said in a light, neutral tone.
看来 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
看 kàn · to see · 9 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
来 lái · to come · 7 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
Related words
Words that share a character with 看来.
| 看到 | kàndào | to see |
| 回来 | huílái | to return; to come back |
| 起来 | qǐlái | to stand up; to get up; also pr. [qi3lai2] |
| 出来 | chūlái | to come out; to appear |
| 看见 | kànjiàn | to see; to catch sight of |
| 进来 | jìnlái | to come in |
| 来到 | láidào | to arrive; to come |
| 好看 | hǎokàn | good-looking; nice-looking; (of a movie, book, TV show etc) good |
| 看病 | kànbìng | to visit a doctor; to see a patient |
| 过来 | guòlái | to come over; to manage |
| 带来 | dàilái | to bring; (fig.) to bring about; to produce |
| 来自 | láizì | to come from (a place); From: (in email header) |
Questions about 看来
What does 看来 mean?
看来 (kànlái) means "apparently; it seems that".
How do you write 看来?
看来 is made of 2 characters: 看 (9 strokes), 来 (7 strokes). That is 16 strokes in total.
Is 看来 an HSK word?
Yes. 看来 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 看来 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 看来 is written 看來.
What is the difference between 看来 and 好像 (hǎoxiàng)?
Both can mean "it seems". 看来 suggests you are drawing a conclusion from evidence you just noticed. 好像 is a softer, vaguer impression and can also mean "to be like".
Can 看来 be used to give an opinion, like "in my view"?
Yes, in the pattern 在我看来 (zài wǒ kànlái), meaning "in my opinion" or "as I see it". For example, 在我看来，这个办法不错。(Zài wǒ kànlái, zhège bànfǎ búcuò.) As I see it, this method is pretty good.