Learn Korean (TTMIK)

Lesson 9

In the previous lesson, we looked at how to use 같아요 [ga-ta-yo] after nouns to mean “it looks
like” or “it seems to be” something.
Examples:
커피 같아요. [keo-pi ga-ta-yo.] = It looks like coffee. / I think it’s coffee.
저 사람 소연 씨 같아요. [ jeo sa-ram so-yeon ssi ga-ta-yo.] = That person looks like So-yeon. / I
think that person is So-yeon.
In the examples above, both 커피 and 소연 씨 were nouns, so it is relatively simple to use 같아
요 in the sentences. You just have to add 같아요 after the nouns.
However, when you want to use 같아요 with verbs, first you need to change the verb into its
noun form. There are a few different ways to change a verb into a noun, but here, we are going
to use the -ㄴ 것 form. We learned about this noun form in Level 2 Lesson 19.
Let’s review a little bit.

1. Descriptive verbs
Verb stem + -(으)ㄴ 것
Ex) 예쁘다 [ye-ppeu-da] = to be pretty
예쁜 것 [ye-ppeun geot] = being pretty, something pretty, the thing that is pretty
2. Action verbs
- Present tense
Verb stem + -는 것

Ex) 말하다 [mal-ha-da] = to talk, to speak, to say
말하는 것 [mal-ha-neun geot] = talking, what one is saying, the act of talking
- Past tense
Verb stem + -(으)ㄴ 것
Ex) 말한 것 [mal-han geot] = what one said, the fact that one talked
- Future tense
Verb stem + -(으)ㄹ 것
Ex) 말할 것 [mal-hal geot] = what one will say, the fact that one will talk
How to use 같아요 with verbs
Now that we’ve reviewed how to change verbs into the -ㄴ 것 noun forms, we are almost
there! Since you already have the verbs in the noun forms, you just have to add 같아요 after
the word 것.
-(으)ㄴ 것 같아요 = present tense for descriptive verbs / past tense for action verbs
-는 것 같아요 = present tense for action verbs
-(으)ㄹ 것 같아요 = future tense for action/descriptive verbs
What does -것 같아요 mean?
Even when 같아요 is combined with verbs, since the -것 part already makes them nouns, the
basic meanings and usages are the same as “Noun + 같아요”.

1. “It looks like...”
2. “It seems to be...”
3. “To me it looks like...”
4. “I think it is...”
5. “I think it will...”
6. “I think it was....”
etc.

Examples
1. 이상하다 [i-sang-ha-da] = to be strange
이상하 + ㄴ 것 같아요 = 이상한 것 같아요 = It seems to be strange. / I think it’s strange.

2. 눈이 오다 [nu-ni o-da] = to snow
눈이 오 + 는 것 같아요 = 눈이 오는 것 같아요 = It seems to be snowing. / I think it’s snowing.
눈이 오 + ㄹ 것 같아요 = 눈이 올 것 같아요 = I think it will snow. / It seems like it will snow.

3. 이야기하다 [i-ya-gi-ha-da] = to tell, to talk
이야기하 + ㄴ 것 같아요 = 이야기한 것 같아요
= I think they told them. / It looks like they talked.
이야기하 + ㄹ 것 같아요 = 이야기할 것 같아요
= I think they will talk. / It seems like they will talk.
이야기하 + 는 것 같아요 = 이야기하는 것 같아요
= I think they are talking. / They seem to talk to each other.

As you can see from the examples above, when you want to say “I think” in English, you can
use 것 같아요 in Korean.

Sample sentences
1. 여기 비싼 것 같아요.
[yeo-gi bi-ssan geot ga-ta-yo.]
= I think this place is expensive.
= It looks expensive here.
= This place seems to be expensive.

2. 그런 것 같아요.
[geu-reon geot ga-ta-yo.]
= I think so.
= It seems to be so.
= It looks like it.
** Verb = 그렇다 (irregular) = to be so, to be that way

3. 이 영화 재미있을 것 같아요.
[i yeong-hwa jae-mi-i-sseul geot ga-ta-yo]
= I think this movie will be interesting.
= This movie looks like it will be interesting (to watch).

4. 이 가방, 여기에서 산 것 같아요.
[i ga-bang, yeo-gi-e-seo san geot ga-ta-yo.]
= This bag, it seems like we bought it here.
= I think I bought this bag here.

5. 아마 안 할 것 같아요.
[a-ma an hal geot ga-ta-yo.]
= I think I probably won’t do it.
= It looks like we are probably not going to do it.