-(으)ㄴ/는 모양이다 - It seems | Korean Grammar Documentation

-(으)ㄴ/는 모양이다 expresses inference or appearance based on observation. It means "it seems," "it appears," "looks like," or "apparently."

Structure

Verb/Adjective + -(으)ㄴ/는 모양이다

Breakdown:

-(으)ㄴ/는: Adnominal ending
모양: Appearance/shape
이다: To be

Literal meaning: "It has the appearance of..."

Conjugation with Verbs

Present Tense: -는 모양이다

All verbs in present:

가다 → 가는 모양이에요 (seems to be going)
먹다 → 먹는 모양이에요 (seems to be eating)
하다 → 하는 모양이에요 (seems to be doing)
오다 → 오는 모양이에요 (seems to be coming)

Rule: Add -는 모양이다 to all verb stems

Past Tense: -(으)ㄴ 모양이다

After vowel or ㄹ: -ㄴ 모양이다

가다 → 간 모양이에요 (seems to have gone)
오다 → 온 모양이에요 (seems to have come)
만들다 → 만든 모양이에요 (seems to have made)

After consonant: -은 모양이다

먹다 → 먹은 모양이에요 (seems to have eaten)
읽다 → 읽은 모양이에요 (seems to have read)

Future Tense: -(으)ㄹ 모양이다

After vowel or ㄹ: -ㄹ 모양이다

가다 → 갈 모양이에요 (seems will go)
오다 → 올 모양이에요 (seems will come)

After consonant: -을 모양이다

먹다 → 먹을 모양이에요 (seems will eat)
읽다 → 읽을 모양이에요 (seems will read)

Conjugation with Adjectives

Present Tense: -(으)ㄴ 모양이다

After vowel or ㄹ: -ㄴ 모양이다

크다 → 큰 모양이에요 (seems big)
작다 → 작은 모양이에요 (seems small)
멀다 → 먼 모양이에요 (seems far)

After consonant: -은 모양이다

좋다 → 좋은 모양이에요 (seems good)
많다 → 많은 모양이에요 (seems a lot)
적다 → 적은 모양이에요 (seems little)

Past Tense: -았/었던 모양이다

Past state:

좋다 → 좋았던 모양이에요 (seems it was good)
크다 → 컸던 모양이에요 (seems it was big)
바쁘다 → 바빴던 모양이에요 (seems they were busy)

With Copula (이다)

Present: -인 모양이다

After noun:

학생인 모양이에요 (seems to be a student)
선생님인 모양이에요 (seems to be a teacher)
의사인 모양이에요 (seems to be a doctor)

Past: -이었던/였던 모양이다

Was:

학생이었던 모양이에요 (seems was a student)
선생님이었던 모양이에요 (seems was a teacher)

Politeness Levels

Formal (합니다체)

가는 모양입니다 (seems to be going)
좋은 모양입니다 (seems good)

Polite (해요체)

가는 모양이에요 (seems to be going)
좋은 모양이에요 (seems good)

Casual (반말)

가는 모양이야 (seems to be going)
좋은 모양이야 (seems good)

Core Usage: Inference from Observation

Based on Visual Evidence

What you observe:

바쁜 모양이에요 (Seems they're busy) → See them working hard
피곤한 모양이에요 (Seems they're tired) → See them yawning, looking weary
아픈 모양이에요 (Seems they're sick) → See them looking unwell

Based on Indirect Signs

Deduction from clues:

공부를 열심히 하는 모양이에요 (Seems they study hard) → See good grades, always studying
인기가 많은 모양이에요 (Seems it's popular) → See crowds, good reviews
맛있는 모양이에요 (Seems it's delicious) → See people enjoying it

Common Expressions

People's States

바쁜 모양이에요 (Seems they're busy)
피곤한 모양이에요 (Seems they're tired)
행복한 모양이에요 (Seems they're happy)
화난 모양이에요 (Seems they're angry)
아픈 모양이에요 (Seems they're sick)

Situations

문제가 있는 모양이에요 (Seems there's a problem)
잘 되는 모양이에요 (Seems it's going well)
실패한 모양이에요 (Seems it failed)
성공한 모양이에요 (Seems it succeeded)

Weather/Conditions

비가 올 모양이에요 (Seems it will rain)
추운 모양이에요 (Seems it's cold)
더운 모양이에요 (Seems it's hot)
날씨가 좋은 모양이에요 (Seems the weather is good)

Activities

열심히 일하는 모양이에요 (Seems they work hard)
공부하는 모양이에요 (Seems they're studying)
운동하는 모양이에요 (Seems they're exercising)
준비하는 모양이에요 (Seems they're preparing)

Negative Forms

Verb Negative: 안 -는/(으)ㄴ 모양이다

Present:

안 가는 모양이에요 (seems not going)
안 먹는 모양이에요 (seems not eating)

Past:

안 간 모양이에요 (seems didn't go)
안 먹은 모양이에요 (seems didn't eat)

Adjective Negative: -지 않은 모양이다

Present:

좋지 않은 모양이에요 (doesn't seem good)
크지 않은 모양이에요 (doesn't seem big)

Formality and Tone

More Literary/Written Style

Compared to 것 같다 or -나 보다:

-(으)ㄴ/는 모양이다 is slightly more formal
More common in written Korean
Sounds more objective and observational
Less common in very casual speech

Usage contexts:

News reports
Written narratives
Formal observations
Academic or professional contexts

Contrast with Similar Forms

모양이다 vs 것 같다

모양이다: Formal inference from observation

바쁜 모양이에요 (Seems they're busy)
→ More objective, formal tone

것 같다: Subjective opinion

바쁜 것 같아요 (I think they're busy)
→ More personal, common in speech

모양이다 vs -나 보다

모양이다: More formal observation

아픈 모양이에요 (Seems they're sick)
→ Polite, somewhat formal

-나 보다: Casual inference

아픈가 봐요 (Seems they're sick)
→ More casual, conversational

모양이다 vs -대요

모양이다: Inference from observation

비싼 모양이에요 (Seems it's expensive)
→ Based on what you see

-대요: Hearsay

비싸대요 (I heard it's expensive)
→ Based on what you heard

Example Dialogues

Dialogue 1: Observation

A: 지수가 요즘 안 보이네요.
(Jisoo hasn't been seen lately.)

B: 바쁜 모양이에요. 프로젝트가 있다고 들었어요.
(Seems she's busy. I heard she has a project.)

Dialogue 2: Weather

A: 하늘이 어두워요.
(The sky is dark.)

B: 곧 비가 올 모양이에요. 우산 챙기세요.
(Seems it will rain soon. Get your umbrella.)

Dialogue 3: Restaurant

A: 저 식당 어때요?
(How's that restaurant?)

B: 사람이 많은 걸 보니 맛있는 모양이에요.
(Seeing there are many people, it seems delicious.)

Dialogue 4: Work

A: 팀장님 표정이 안 좋아요.
(The team leader's expression isn't good.)

B: 회의가 잘 안 된 모양이에요.
(Seems the meeting didn't go well.)

Common Mistakes

❌ Incorrect: 가는 모양해요

Wrong verb

✅ Correct: 가는 모양이에요

Use 이다 copula

❌ Incorrect: 좋다는 모양이에요

Wrong adnominal form

✅ Correct: 좋은 모양이에요

Adjectives use -(으)ㄴ

Usage Notes

When to Use 모양이다

Best contexts:

Making polite, formal observations
Writing (essays, reports, stories)
Professional conversations
When you want to sound more objective
When inference is based on clear evidence

Less natural in:

Very casual friend conversations
Quick, spontaneous reactions
When 것 같다 or -나 보다 are more natural

Summary Table

Type	Tense	Example	Meaning
Verb	Present	가는 모양이에요	Seems to be going
Verb	Past	간 모양이에요	Seems went
Verb	Future	갈 모양이에요	Seems will go
Adjective	Present	좋은 모양이에요	Seems good
Adjective	Past	좋았던 모양이에요	Seems was good
Copula	Present	학생인 모양이에요	Seems to be student

Formality Comparison

Expression	Formality	Usage
모양이다	More formal	Written, formal speech
것 같다	Neutral	Most common, all contexts
-나 보다	Casual	Casual conversation
-대요	Casual	Hearsay, informal

Key Takeaways

✅ Expresses inference: "It seems" / "It appears"
✅ More formal tone: Than 것 같다 or -나 보다
✅ Common in writing: Essays, reports, narratives
✅ Based on observation: Evidence-based inference
✅ Verbs use: -는 (present), -(으)ㄴ (past), -(으)ㄹ (future)
✅ Adjectives use: -(으)ㄴ (present)

-(으)ㄴ/는 모양이다 is a more formal and literary way to express inference in Korean. While 것 같다 is more common in everyday speech, 모양이다 adds a level of formality and objectivity, making it particularly useful in written Korean and formal observations.