听起来 (tīng qǐlái) - HSK 3

Explanation

听起来 means “sounds / seems from hearing,” based on something heard. Use it only when it adds this exact meaning, and pay attention to its fixed position in Chinese. Compare nearby forms carefully: potential complements show ability, degree adverbs modify states, 看起来/听起来 depend on evidence, 算是 gives a cautious judgment, and 所谓 introduces a term or label.

Structure Patterns

1 structures

Grammar pattern

听起来

听起来 means “sounds / seems from hearing,” based on something heard.

他的声音听起来很年轻。

Tā de shēngyīn tīng qǐlái hěn niánqīng.

His voice sounds young.

这个故事听起来很有意思。

Zhège gùshi tīng qǐlái hěn yǒu yìsi.

This story sounds interesting.

你的计划听起来有点儿难。

Nǐ de jìhuà tīng qǐlái yǒudiǎnr nán.

Your plan sounds a little difficult.

Common Mistakes

Wrong: placing the key word or complement from 听起来 after the whole sentence. Correct: keep it close to the verb, adjective, or phrase it modifies.
Wrong: using 听起来 when the sentence needs a different meaning. Correct: check whether you need ability, clarity, degree, appearance, sound, classification, or definition.
Wrong: translating word by word from Vietnamese or English. Correct: follow the Chinese pattern and keep fixed complements together.

Usage Notes

Core pattern: 听起来.
Position is important; most items come before what they modify or directly after the verb as a complement.
Use natural contexts, not isolated word substitution.

Practice

10 exercises

1 / 10

Fill in the blank:

这个主意___不错。