在我看来
zài wǒ kànlái
The English phrase "in my opinion" is expressed in Chinese as 在我看来 (zài wǒ kànlái).
The phrase 在我看来 is used to introduce a personal belief, a perspective or an assessment of a particular topic.
Which one should you use?
While 在我看来 is used to introduce a specific perspective or assessment, 我觉得 (which means "I feel" or "I think") is a much more common and conversational way to express a personal feeling or opinion.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
在我看来 is a formal way to present your thoughts and is suitable for written work or structured speech. In contrast, 我觉得 is more colloquial and used in daily conversations. For an even more casual tone, one might use 在我看来嘛, which adds the particle 嘛 to the end of the phrase.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase 在我看来 is typically placed at the beginning of a sentence to introduce a clause that expresses your viewpoint.
How do you pronounce it?
zài wǒ kànlái
Did you know?
- In formal Chinese debate, stating 在我看来 can be a strategic way to soften a contradiction. By framing a critique as a personal perspective rather than an objective fact, the speaker saves the other person's 'face'.
- If you want to sound even more professional or scholarly than 在我看来, you might use 依我之见, which uses classical Chinese structures to signal a high level of authority in your opinion.
- The word 觉得 used for opinions is composed of two characters: 觉 meaning 'to sense' and 得 meaning 'to obtain'. This implies that an opinion is something 'obtained' through a sensation.
Examples in context
- 在我看来，你错了。In my opinion, you are wrong.This sentence is useful for showing how to use 在我看来 to disagree with someone.Tatoeba #7771922 by jiangche, translation #250860 by CC
- 在我看来，这次会议很成功。In my opinion, the meeting was a success.This sentence is useful for using 在我看来 to provide an assessment of an event.Tatoeba #5085559 by Jubilee11, translation #5085437 by Airvian
- 在我看来，他是有道理的。In my opinion, he is correct.This sentence is useful for using 在我看来 to state that someone is correct.Tatoeba #426367 by fucongcong, translation #388737 by CK
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a new restaurant in the city.
- 雨婷 Yuting俊杰，你觉得那家餐厅怎么样？Jùnjié, nǐ juéde nà jiā cāntīng zěnmeyàng?Junjie, what do you think of that restaurant?
- 俊杰 Junjie在我看来，那里的菜有点太咸了。Zài wǒ kànlái, nàlǐ de cài yǒudiǎn tài xián le.In my opinion, the food there is a bit too salty.
- 雨婷 Yuting是吗？但我个人觉得味道不错。Shì ma? Dàn wǒ gèrén juéde wèidào bùcuò.Really? But personally, I think the flavor is good.
- 俊杰 Junjie也许吧，每个人口味不同。Yěxǔ ba, měi gèrén kǒuwèi bùtóng.Maybe, everyone has different tastes.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
