-는 것 같다 in Korean: “I think, it seems”

-는 것 같다 (-neun geot gatda) means "I think" or "it seems" and is used to share a guess or a soft opinion. Literally it is "it seems like the thing that is ...". Koreans use it all the time to sound less direct, even about their own opinions.

How to form it

How to use it

Use it when you are guessing from what you see or hear ("it seems to be raining") or when you want to give your opinion gently ("I think it's a bit expensive").

It makes you sound modest and polite, so it is very common in conversation, interviews and customer service. Koreans even use it about their own feelings, like 좋은 것 같아요 ("I think I like it"), to avoid sounding too blunt.

The ending changes with the situation: 같아요 is polite, 같아 is casual with friends, and 같습니다 is formal. The part before 것 (는, ㄴ/은, 인) shows the tense and whether the word is a verb, adjective or noun.

Examples

Tap a word to see what it means and save it to your flashcards.

Don’t mix it up with

-(으)ㄹ 것 같다: -(으)ㄹ 것 같다 is a guess about what will happen or something you can't see yet (비가 올 것 같아요, "it looks like it will rain"), while -는 것 같다 is about what is happening now (비가 오는 것 같아요, "it seems to be raining").

-나 보다: -나 보다 is a guess based on a clue you just noticed and is used about other people or situations, not your own opinion. -는 것 같다 works for both guesses and opinions.

Common mistakes

Using 는 with adjectives: 예쁘는 것 같아요 is wrong. Adjectives take (으)ㄴ, so say 예쁜 것 같아요.

Using 간 것 같아요 when you mean "is going". 간 is past ("seems to have gone"); for now, use 가는 것 같아요.

Want the basics first? Read Describing nouns (-는, -은, -을).