-아/어 보이다

How to use it

Describes how something or someone looks to you from their appearance. Attach to adjectives: 바빠 보여요 'you look busy'.

Forming it

Used with adjectives, not action verbs: ✗ 비가 와 보여요 → 비가 올 것 같아요.

Examples

• 오늘 얼굴이 좀 피곤해 보여요. 괜찮아요?

  You look a bit tired today. Are you okay?

• 그 케이크가 정말 맛있어 보이네요.

  That cake looks really delicious.

Compared with similar patterns

-(으)ㄴ/는 것 같다 is a general guess from any information (also verbs); -아/어지다 means actually becoming; -나 보다 infers from evidence, not appearance alone.

Related patterns

• -(으)ㄴ/는/(으)ㄹ 것 같다 seem, look like; I think (guess or soft opinion)
• -아/어지다 become (change of state with adjectives); be done (passive)
• -나 보다 it seems that, I guess (inference from what one sees)