Verb + 起来 (qǐlái): Saying "Looks / Sounds / Tastes Like" in Chinese

When you want to say how something seems to you, use verb + 起来. For example: 这个面条闻起来真香 (zhège miàntiáo wén qǐlái zhēn xiāng) — "this bowl of noodles smells really good."

More examples

• 看起来不错 (kàn qǐlái bùcuò) — looks good
• 听起来很好 (tīng qǐlái hěn hǎo) — sounds great
• 吃起来很甜 (chī qǐlái hěn tián) — tastes sweet

You're not saying you're actually doing the action — you're saying "from this angle, my impression is…" Learn this and you can give your first impression of anything, instantly and naturally.

Keep learning

• Kuài (块) vs Yuán (元): how Chinese say money
• Room & phone numbers, digit by digit
• Why 4 is unlucky and 8 is lucky in China
• What 好好 (hǎohǎo) means
• What 回头 (huítóu) really means
• 找钱 (zhǎo qián): it means "give change"