看起来 vs 看上去: two ways to say “looks/seems”
Both 看起来 and 看上去 express an appearance-based judgment (“looks/seems”). 看起来 is more subjective, often implying a personal evaluation derived from visual or other sensory input; 看上去 is more objective, focusing on the immediate visual impression. In many contexts with 看 they are interchangeable, but 起来 is much broader, working with 听, 闻, 尝, and 摸, while 上去 is rarely used with non-visual senses.
When expressing an impression based on appearance (visual or other sensory), Chinese uses complements like 起来 (qǐlái) and 上去 (shàngqù) attached to perception verbs like 看, 听, 闻. The core pair causing confusion is 看起来 vs 看上去, both meaning “looks/seems”. 起来 (as 看起来) carries a more subjective nuance—the speaker is offering an opinion based on observed evidence; 上去 (as 看上去) is more objective, describing what something appears to be at first glance. While often interchangeable in visual contexts, 起来 is far more productive: it works with all five senses (e.g., 听起来, 闻起来), whereas 上去 is almost exclusively used with 看 (and occasionally 听).
When to use each
Use 起来 after a perception verb to express a subjective evaluation based on that sense. It is the default choice for non-visual senses: 听起来 (sounds), 闻起来 (smells), 尝起来 (tastes), 摸起来 (feels). With 看, it is fully interchangeable with 上去 in many contexts, but 看起来 often implies a judgment made after looking or thinking.
起来 is also a directional complement meaning “upwards” or “starting”; the evaluative usage is derived from the sense of “when you start to perceive”. It is more colloquial and personal than 上去.
Use 上去 after 看 (or occasionally 听) to describe an immediate visual impression without strong personal judgment. 看上去 often conveys “at first sight” or “outwardly appears”. It is less common with other senses; avoid using 闻上去 or 尝上去 in standard Mandarin.
上去 is a directional complement meaning “upward (away from speaker)”; the evaluative sense is only used with 看 (and sometimes 听). It tends to sound slightly more literary or detached than 看起来.
At a glance
| 起来 | 上去 | |
|---|---|---|
| Subjectivity of judgment | More subjective (personal evaluation) | More objective (immediate appearance) |
| Sensory uses | Works with 看, 听, 闻, 尝, 摸 | Almost exclusively with 看; rarely with 听 |
| Interchangeability with 看 | Interchangeable in most everyday contexts | Interchangeable in most everyday contexts |
| Typical translation | “looks (to me)”, “seems” | “appears”, “looks from the outside” |
| Colloquial vs written | More colloquial | Slightly more formal / literary |
Examples
- 起来她看起来很年轻。Tā kàn qǐlái hěn niánqīng.She looks very young. (to me, after observing)Both 看起来 and 看上去 work here; 看起来 implies a personal impression.
- 上去这件衣服看上去很贵。Zhè jiàn yīfu kàn shàngqù hěn guì.This piece of clothing looks expensive. (at first glance)Immediate visual impression; 看起来 would also be natural but could add a slight evaluative nuance.
- 起来这个菜闻起来很香。Zhège cài wén qǐlái hěn xiāng.This dish smells delicious.Only 起来 works with 闻; 闻上去 is non-standard.
- 起来他说的话听起来很有道理。Tā shuō de huà tīng qǐlái hěn yǒu dàolǐ.What he said sounds reasonable.With 听, both 听起来 and 听上去 are possible, but 听起来 is far more common and natural.
- 上去这双鞋看上去不大，但穿起来很舒服。Zhè shuāng xié kàn shàngqù bù dà, dàn chuān qǐlái hěn shūfu.These shoes look small, but they feel comfortable when worn.First 看上去 for visual appearance; second 穿起来 uses 起来 for a tactile evaluation.
- 上去天气看上去要下雨了。Tiānqì kàn shàngqù yào xià yǔ le.It looks like it’s going to rain. (based on what one sees)Immediate judgment; 看起来 would sound slightly more subjective (“I think it’s going to rain”).
Common mistakes
- Using 看上去 with non-visual verbs like 闻 or 尝 — use 看起来/起来 instead.
- Assuming 看起来 and 看上去 are always identical; they are interchangeable in many visual contexts but differ in nuance (subjective vs objective).
- Using 起来 in place of 上去 when the intended meaning is “at first glance” and the speaker wants to emphasize external appearance without personal judgment.
- Omitting the verb 看 and using just 起来 or 上去 to mean “looks” — the verb is required (e.g., 看起来, 看上去).
FAQ
- When do I use 看起来 vs 看上去?
- Both mean “looks/seems” and are often interchangeable. Use 看起来 when you want to express a more subjective, evaluative opinion (e.g., “She looks tired to me”). Use 看上去 for a more objective, immediate visual impression (e.g., “He looks happy from the photo”). In practice, many native speakers use them without strong distinction.
- Can I use 看起来 with 听?
- Yes! 听起来 (sounds) is very common. 听上去 is also possible but less frequent. For non-visual senses, 起来 is the standard complement: 闻起来 (smells), 尝起来 (tastes), 摸起来 (feels).
- Is one more formal than the other?
- Generally, 看上去 tends to appear slightly more in written or formal contexts, while 看起来 is more common in everyday speech. But the difference is slight; both are used in all registers.
- Can I use 起来 or 上去 alone to mean “looks”?
- No. You must attach them to a perception verb. 看起来 and 看上去 are the standard forms. Saying just 起来 as an evaluative complement is grammatical only if the verb is omitted in a very specific context (e.g., in a question: 起来怎么样？ meaning “How does it seem?” — but that’s a conversational shortcut).