I think / It seems - 하는 거 같애 (General)

I think / It seems - 하는 거 같애/같아 (General)

하는 거 같애 means "I think he/she/they is/are doing (something)" or "It seems he/she/they are doing (something)."
Please note that although grammatically 하는 거 같아 is right. In spoken Korean, it's usually pronounced 하는 거 같애.


[Verbs]

Written Form	Present	Past
Positive	하는 것 같다	했던 것 같다
Negative	하지 않는 것 같다 안하는 것 같다	하지 않았던 것 같다 안했던 것 같다

Spoken Form	Present	Past
Positive	하는 거 같애	했던 거 같애
Negative	하지 않는 거 같애 안하는 거 같애	하지 않았던 거 같애 안했던 거 같애

Note: In written Korean, it is written 하는 것 같다 whereas in spoken Korean, it is spoken as 하는 거 같애. It is mostly likely due to the fact that 것 is a lot more cumbersome to pronounce than 거 when speaking.


Rules
 
1. Take 다 off a plain form of verbs and attach 는 거 같애/지 않는 거 같애 etc. to it.
2. Drop ㄹ off a plain form of verbs that have ㄹ as a final consonant.
3. Take 다 off a past tense form of verbs and attach 던 것 같다/던 거 같애 etc. to it.

• 하다 → 하는 거 같애 = I think they do / It seems they do
• 먹다 → 먹는 거 같애 = I think they eat / It seems they eat
  
• 일어나다 → 일어나는 거 같애 = I think they get up
  
• 자다 → 자는 거 같애 = I think they sleep
  
• 보다 → 보는 거 같애 = I think they watch
  
• 씻다 → 씻는 거 같애 = I think they wash
  
• 달리다 → 달리는 거 같애 = I think they run
  
• 놀다 → 노는 거 같애 = I think they muck around
  
• 살다 → 사는 거 같애 = I think they live
  

• 했다 → 했던 거 같애 = I think they did
  
• 먹었다 → 먹었던 거 같애 = I think they ate
  
• 봤다 → 봤던 거 같애 = I think they watched
  
• 살았다 → 살았던 거 같애 = I think they lived
  
• 놀았다 → 놀았던 거 같애 = I think they mucked around
  

Example Sentences

• 저기서 사람들이 축구 하는 거 같애 = I think people are playing soccer over there.
  
• 이 개는 저 개집에서 살았던 거 같애 = I think this dog lived in that kennel. = I think this dog used to live in that kennel.
• 저 방에는 아기가 자고 있는 거 같애 = I think a baby is sleeping in that room.
• 나는 밥을 빨리 안먹는 거 같애 = I think I don't eat (a meal) fast.

[Adjectives]

Written Form	Present	Past
Positive	좋은 것 같다	좋았던 것 같다
Negative	좋지 않은 것 같다 안좋은 것 같다	좋지 않았던 것 같다 안좋았던 것 같다

Spoken Form	Present	Past
Positive	좋은 거 같애	좋았던 거 같애
Negative	좋지 않은 거 같애 안좋은 거 같애	좋지 않았던 거 같애 안좋았던 거 같애

Rules

1. Attach a descriptive form of adjectives to 거 같애.
2. Take 다 off a past tense form of adjectives and attach 었던 거 같애.

• 좋은 → 좋은 거 같애 = I think it's good / It seems good
• 많은 → 많은거 같애 = I think there's a lot / There seems a lot
  
• 큰 → 큰 거 같애 = I think it's big / It seems big
  
• 작은 → 작은 거 같애 = I think it's small / It seems small
  
• 예쁜 → 예쁜 거 같애 = I think it's pretty / It seems pretty
  
• 똑똑한 → 똑똑한 거 같애 = I think he's clever / He seems clever
  
• 솔직한 → 솔직한 거 같애 = I think she's honest / She seems honest
• 좋았다 → 좋았던 거 같애 = I think it was good / It seemed good
  

• 맛있었다 → 맛있었던 거 같애 = I think it was delicious
  
• 재밌었다 → 재밌었던 거 같애 = I think it was fun
  
• 쉬웠다 → 쉬웠던 거 같애 = I think it was easy
  
• 많았다 → 많았던 거 같애 = I think there was a lot

Example sentences

• 태국음식은 맛있는 거 같애 = I think Thai food is delicious
• 이 집은 굉장히 큰 거 같애 = I think this house is enormously big.
• 이번 수학시험은 정말 쉬웠던 거 같애 = I think the maths test was really easy.
• 내 기억에 저 들 위에는 꽃들이 많았던 거 같애 = According to my memory, I think there were a lot of flowers on that hill.

[Nouns]

Written Form	Present	Past
Positive	고양이인 것 같다	고양이였던 것 같다
Negative	고양이가 아닌 것 같다	고양이가 아니었던 것 같다

Spoken Form	Present	Past
Positive	고양이(인 거) 같애	고양이였던 거 같애
Negative	고양이(가) 아닌 거 같애	고양이(가) 아니었던 거 같애

Note: The object particle, 가/이, is usually omitted in spoken Korean. 인 거 is also usually omitted.

같다's original meaning is "look like." Therefore, 같애 phrases can have alternative translations but essentially they mean the same thing.

• 하는 거 같애 = I think they're doing. It looks like they're doing.
• 예쁜 거 같애 = I think it's pretty. It looks pretty.
  
• 치킨인거 같애 = I think it's a chicken. It looks like a chicken (food).
  

Rules

Attach 인 것 같다/였던 것 같다/인 거 같애/였던 거 같애 to a noun.

• 강아지(인 거) 같애 = I think it's a puppy (It looks like a puppy)
  
• 고양이(인 거) 같애 = I think it's a cat
  
• 뻐꾸기(인 거) 같애 = I think it's a cuckoo
  
• 나무(인 거) 같애 = I think it's a tree
• 사람(인 거) 같애 = I think it's a person
  
• 학교(인 거) 같애 = I think it's a school

Example sentences

• 민희: 너 저 동물이 뭔지 알아? = Do you know what that animal is?
• 수영: 저건 사자 같애. = I think that is a lion. (That looks like a lion)
  
• 민희: 사자 아닌 거 같은데. 호랑이 같애. = I don't think that is a lion. I think it's a tiger.
• 수영: 그런가? 그럼 저 멀리 저건 뭐지? = Is it? Then what is that over there afar? 
• 민희: 사람은 아닌 거 같애. 동물인 거 같애. = I don't think it's a human. I think it's an animal.
  
• 수영: 침팬지다. = It's a chimpanzee.
• 민희: 침팬지 같았어. = I thought that was a chimpanzee. (It looked like a chimpanzee)
  

Note: 같다's past tense is 같았어 and so 고양이 같았어 = I thought it was a cat.


Formal Forms

Rules  

Written Korean = Change 다 to 습니다.
Spoken Korean = Attach 요 to the end of a sentence. 
eg.

• 태국음식은 맛있는 것 같습니다 = I think Thai food is delicious
• 이 집은 굉장히 큰 거 같애요 = I think this house is enormously big.
• 이번 수학시험은 정말 쉬웠던 거 같애요 = I think the maths test was really easy.
• 내 기억에 저 들 위에는 꽃들이 많았던 거 같애요 = According to my memory, I think there were a lot of flowers on that hill.

They/he/she think(s) = ~ 같대

같대 is a shortened form of 같다고 해 and it is used to express what they/he/she think(s). 같대 is usually used in spoken Korean. Attach 요 to 같대 to make it formal.

• 할머니가 이 개는 저 개집에서 살았던 거 같대 = Grandma thinks this dog lived in that kennel. = Grandma thinks this dog used to live in that kennel.
• 엄마가 저 방에는 아기가 자고 있는 거 같대 = Mum thinks a baby is sleeping in that room.
• 친구가 나는 밥을 빨리 먹는 거 같대요 = My friend thinks I eat (a meal) fast.

• 폴이 태국음식은 맛있는 거 같대 = Paul thinks Thai food is delicious
• 동생의 기억엔 저 들 위에는 꽃들이 많았던 거 같대요 = According to my younger (brother/sister)'s memory, He/she thinks there were a lot of flowers on that hill.

• 강아지(인 거) 같대 = They/he/she think(s) it's a puppy (It looks like a puppy)
• 고양이(인 거) 같대요 = They/he/she think(s) it's a cat