HSK Level 3

看上去

kàn shàng qù

seem

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Example Sentences

他看上去很健康。

Tā kàn shàngqù hěn jiànkāng.

He looks very healthy.

这件衣服看上去很漂亮。

Zhè jiàn yīfu kàn shàngqù hěn piàoliang.

This dress looks very pretty.

这本书看上去很有趣。

Zhè běn shū kàn shàngqù hěn yǒuqù.

This book looks very interesting.

Synonyms

Antonyms

看不见 (kàn bù jiàn)

invisible

看不清 (kàn bù qīng)

unclear

Etymology & Components

The Chinese word 看上去 (kàn shàng qù) is a verb-object compound that literally means "to look at something". It is composed of the verb 看 (kàn), which means "to look at", and the object 上去 (shàng qù), which means "upwards". The word 上去 (shàng qù) is also used as a directional complement, meaning "upwards" or "onwards". In the context of 看上去 (kàn shàng qù), it indicates that the action of looking is directed upwards, suggesting that the speaker is looking at something from a lower position.The word 看上去 (kàn shàng qù) can be used in a variety of contexts to express the idea of "to look at something". For example, it can be used to describe the act of looking at a person, an object, or a scene. It can also be used to express the idea of "to seem" or "to appear". For example, the sentence 他看上去很高兴 (tā kàn shàng qù hěn gāoxìng) means "He looks very happy".The word 看上去 (kàn shàng qù) is a common expression in Chinese and is used in both spoken and written language. It is an important word for HSK learners to know, as it is used in a variety of contexts and can be used to express a variety of ideas.