-는 모양이다
-는 모양이다: It Appears — Guess From What You See
It appears / seems — guess framed through dependent noun 모양 + 이다.
How to form it
| When | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb present | -는 모양이다 | 가는 모양이다 / 기다리는 모양이다 |
| Verb past / adjective | -(으)ㄴ 모양이다 | 간 모양이다 / 바쁜 모양이다 |
| Noun + 이다 (ida, ‘to be’) | -인 모양이다 | 학생인 모양이다 |
-는 모양이다 packages a guess from how things look / how the situation sits.
Gloss: it appears — a guess from what you observed. 우리말샘 모양 「008」 (의존 명사): with 이다 (or 모양으로), marks conjecture. Not the everyday “shape / looks” senses (「002」 etc.).
Observation → guess
바쁜 모양이에요.
감기에 걸린 모양이에요.
곧 올 모양이에요.
학생이 아닌 모양이에요.
소화가 안 되는 모양이에요.Health and daily observation lines: you read signs, then frame the guess.
Forms
| Host | Shape |
|---|---|
| Verb ongoing | -는 모양이다 |
| Past / adjective | -(으)ㄴ 모양이다 |
| 이다 | -인 모양이다 |
Polite close: 모양이에요.
Guess toolkit
| Form | Lean |
|---|---|
| -는 모양이다 | appears (모양 conjecture) |
| -을 것 같다 | broad soft guess |
| -나 보다 | inference from signs |
| -는 듯하다 | compact seeming (same unit) |
아픈 것 같아요. soft general guess
아픈 모양이에요. appears-so packaging
아프나 봐요. evidence-leaning inferenceWhen to use it
Use -는 모양이다 when you want the “judging by how it looks / sits” frame.
If you have no observational hook, prefer a softer general guess — or wait until you do.
Do not confuse it with
Taught alongside this
On the jabi learning path, this appears in 올바른 식습관으로 건강을 챙기세요 (Take care of your health with proper eating habits) — Intermediate Korean 2, Unit 15, on the theme of health and diet. These come with it:
Words used above
Quick check
No sign-up, no score saved — just see if it stuck.
1. 감기에 걸린 모양이에요 leans toward…
2. Dictionary 모양 here?
3. vs -는 것 같다?
Common questions
Is 모양 only ‘shape’?
No. 「002」 is appearance; 「008」 is the bound-noun conjecture sense used here.
Need evidence?
Classroom colouring says guess from what you observed. Bare speculation often prefers 것 같다.
Health-unit tip?
소화가 안 되는 모양이에요 — appears digestion is off (from symptoms).
vs -나 보다?
neunga-boda is another inference tool. Overlap is large — learn both from input.