看来 kàn lai
“apparently; it seems that”
verbHSK 5 · 2021 list level 4Traditional 看來
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
看来 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 730: 看来 kànlái — Level 3; official annotation 3 (动). PDF page 98
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 看来
看来 is an adverb meaning 'it seems, apparently', used to draw a conclusion from what one sees or knows. It can open a sentence (often with a following comma), follow a subject (他看来很累), or follow 现在／这么 (现在看来／这么看来); the pattern 在…看来 means 'in sb's view' (在我看来). It is not the verb 看 'to look at, to read'.
例句Example sentences
- 天这么阴，看来要下雨了。tiān zhè me yīn, kàn lái yào xià yǔ le.It's so cloudy—it looks like it's going to rain.
- 看来他们已经知道这件事了。kàn lái tā men yǐ jīng zhī dao zhè jiàn shì le.It seems they already know about this.
- 这么看来，我们的计划得改一改。zhè me kàn lái, wǒ men de jì huà de gǎi yi gǎi.Judging from this, we'll have to change our plan a bit.
常见错误Common mistakes
-
✗我每天看来报纸。
✓我每天看报纸。
看来 does not mean 'to read/look at'; it is an adverb meaning 'it seems'. Use the verb 看 for reading.
易混词Easily confused
看来vs看起来
看起来 describes an impression from appearance and usually needs a following comment (看起来很不错／看起来很年轻); 看来 more often draws a conclusion about a situation and can open a sentence on its own (看来要下雨了).