Korean grammar · Level 4 · 4급
-는 듯하다
It seems (written)
-는 듯하다 is the written, slightly literary form of -는 것 같다: “it seems”, “as if”. Stories use it to describe what a character seems to feel. The endings follow -는 것 같다 exactly.
| When | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| verb, now | -는 듯하다 | 비가 오는 듯하다 |
| verb, past | -(으)ㄴ 듯하다 | 화가 난 듯했다 |
| adjective | -(으)ㄴ 듯하다 | 슬픈 듯했다 |
| guess about what's coming | -(으)ㄹ 듯하다 | 곧 눈이 올 듯하다 |
Examples
짐은 화가 난 듯했지만 아무 말도 하지 않았다.
Jim seemed angry, but he said nothing.
밖에 비가 오는 듯하다.
It seems to be raining outside.
그녀는 조금 슬픈 듯했다.
She seemed a little sad.
Practise it in context · Level 4, Unit 9
Reading a story
A dialogue with audio, practice that checks itself, Hoya’s mistakes, a reading and a writing task.
Open the unit →