从…来看 vs 在…看来: what is the difference?
从…来看 judges from evidence: 从数据来看. 在…看来 gives a person's opinion: 在老师看来. If the middle is a person, use 在…看来.
| Word | Pinyin | What it does | Structure |
|---|---|---|---|
| 从…来看 | cóng…lái kàn | Gives the evidence first and then the conclusion drawn from it. | 从 + evidence + 来看，+ conclusion |
| 在…看来 | zài…kàn lái | Introduces whose opinion follows, so the middle must be a person or a group. | 在 + person or group + 看来，+ opinion |
从…来看 (cóng…lái kàn)
Gives the evidence first and then the conclusion drawn from it.
Structure: 从 + evidence + 来看，+ conclusion
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 从价格来看，这个牌子比那个划算。 | Cóng jià gé lái kàn, zhè gè pái zi bǐ nà gè huá suàn. | Judging by the price, this brand is better value than that one. |
| 从孩子的成绩来看，他最近很用功。 | Cóng hái zi de chéng jì lái kàn, tā zuì jìn hěn yòng gōng. | Judging by his grades, the child has been working hard lately. |
| 从天气预报来看，明天可能会下雪。 | Cóng tiān qì yù bào lái kàn, míng tiān kě néng huì xià xuě. | Judging by the forecast, it may snow tomorrow. |
Not: 在天气预报来看，明天有雨。 来看 pairs with 从. 在 pairs with 看来, and only with a person: 从天气预报来看。
在…看来 (zài…kàn lái)
Introduces whose opinion follows, so the middle must be a person or a group.
Structure: 在 + person or group + 看来，+ opinion
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 在我看来，学汉语最重要的是多说。 | Zài wǒ kàn lái, xué hàn yǔ zuì zhòng yào de shì duō shuō. | In my view, the most important thing in learning Chinese is to speak a lot. |
| 在很多年轻人看来，工作和生活同样重要。 | Zài hěn duō nián qīng rén kàn lái, gōng zuò hé shēng huó tóng yàng zhòng yào. | In the eyes of many young people, work and life matter equally. |
| 在医生看来，他的病并不算严重。 | Zài yī shēng kàn lái, tā de bìng bìng bú suàn yán zhòng. | In the doctor's view, his illness is not serious. |
Not: 在这本书看来，他是对的。 A book cannot hold an opinion. Use 从这本书来看, or name a person: 在作者看来。
Where this comes from
The comparison is part of Fixed Frames: 从…来看、到…为止、在…看来 (HSK 5) in the grammar reference, which has the full explanation, more worked examples, and what to learn before and after it.
More pairs: 从而 vs 因此 · 大都 vs 都 · 跟…相比 vs 跟…一样 · 过于 vs 太 · 看不得 vs 看不懂 · 累坏了 vs 累得不得了 · 凭 vs 依据 · 起来 vs 下去 · 仍旧 vs 依旧 · 为了 vs 为的是 · 有 vs 有着 · 再次 vs 又 · all 81 pairs.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between 从…来看 and 在…看来?
从…来看 judges from evidence: 从数据来看. 在…看来 gives a person's opinion: 在老师看来. If the middle is a person, use 在…看来.
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