-것 같아요 Meaning in Korean
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Do you know what 같아요(같다) means? Write the answer on your mind and say it loud in 5 seconds!

-것 같아요 Meaning in Korean
– 것 같아요
[geot gatayo]
I think –
Basic form : – 것 같다
반말(informal non-honorific) form : – 것 같아
Negative form with 해요 speech style : 안 – 것 같아요
같아요 is one of the most basic phrases in Korean language, that describes the speaker assumes something while he or she is not 100% sure. It’s very similar to the English phrase : ‘I think’. You can use it only when you are the subject in a sentence (if it’s a question, then 2nd person pronoun ‘you’ only).
With 것 and 거
It always works with 것 or 거. This is very important to make 같아요 phrases very natural. 것 or 거 makes a verb to a phrase (like ‘eating it is…’ or a clause (like ‘that I ate it was…’). 거 is normally used for casual conversations only.
아픈 거 같아요
I think I’m sick
같아요 Literally Means
같아요 actually means ‘to be equal’ or ‘to be same’ especially when you use 같아요 alone without attaching it to another verb. You must remember it can only mean ‘I think -’ or ‘you think -?’
이거는 그거랑 같아요
This one is same to that one
How To Use
A: 오늘 밤에 뭐할거예요?
What are you going to do tonight?
B: 집에서 쉴 거 같아요
I think I’m going to rest at home
A: 정답을 맞춰보세요
Guess the correct answer
B: 저는 이게 맞는거 같아요
I think this one is correct
A: 저는 정말 이쁜거같아요
I think I’m so pretty
B: 또 시작이네…
He started it again…

Make An Opinion Politely
Koreans often use -것 같아요 to make an opinion very politely and carefully also. It can imply other opinions are also correct and nice. However, It also seems like you don’t have a clear opinion sometimes. So, it’s not 100% suitable for job interviews or business presentations.




As It Seems
Sometimes 같아요 is more natural when you translate it as ‘it seems’ or ‘it looks like’ because of the meaning that 같아요 has, which is ‘to be same to’ or ‘to be equal to’. You shouldn’t separate each meaning. Consider 같아요 indicates all the meanings at same time.




Vocabulary Note
오늘 [oneul] : today
밤 [bam] : night
집 [jip] : home / house
쉬다 [swida] : to rest / to take a break
정답 [jeongdap] : correct answer
맞추다 [matchuda] : to answer or guess something correctly
이게 [ige] : this (pronoun)
맞다 [matdda] : to be correct / to be hit
정말 [jeongmal] : really
이쁘다 [ibbeuda] : to be pretty
또 [ddo] : again
시작 [sijak] : to start / to begin
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