看起来, 听起来: “looks like”, “sounds like”

After 看 or 听, 起来 means “judging by what you see (hear)”: 看起来很新 is “looks new”. It's an impression, not a hard fact. 看上去 works the same way.

Examples

• 这件衬衫看起来很新。 Zhè jiàn chènshān kànqǐlai hěn xīn. This shirt looks new.
• 她看起来很年轻。 Tā kànqǐlai hěn niánqīng. She looks very young.
• 这个办法听起来不错。 Zhège bànfǎ tīngqǐlai bú cuò. This idea sounds pretty good.

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