Commenting on appearances with sembrare and vedere

By Sigrid Lee

We often want to comment on another person, animal, or object regarding their appearance (or demeanor), either someone we are talking to or someone we are talking about. One word we can use for this is sembrare "to seem." It can be used by itself:

'Sti [questi] baffetti quando ti sono usciti? Sembri un uomo, eh?

When did you grow this moustache? You look like a man, huh?

Captions 46-47, Non è mai troppo tardi EP 2 - Part 3
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Although sembrare (to seem) can be used by itself, it's often personalized with an indirect object pronoun such as mi (to me), ti (to you), ci (to us), etc.

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Mi sembri nervoso (you seem irritable to me).

Tu sei perfettamente vestito per questo posto e mi sembri molto a tuo agio.

You are dressed perfectly for this place, and you seem very at ease to me.

Captions 67-68, Romanzo Italiano Lazio - Part 10
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But it's also common to use the verb vedere (to see), thus shifting the focus to the speaker.

Mamma mia, come vi vedo nervosi.

My goodness, how nervous you seem.

My goodness, how nervous I see you [as being].

Caption 24, Liberi tutti EP 5 Cosa c'è sotto? - Part 3
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Però... io ti vedo strana.

But... you seem strange (you're acting weird).

Caption 12, JAMS S1 EP 5 - Part 4
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Using vedere can be connected with "looking." In English, we keep the focus on the person we're describing ("you"). In Italian, the grammatical focus is on the person commenting.

Ti vedo bene, Giorgio.

You look good, Giorgio.

Caption 2, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone S1EP2 Rabbia - Part 20
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Let's look at some questions using these same formulas.

Che c'è, ti sembro troppo disinvolta forse?

What, do I seem too flippant to you perhaps?

Caption 36, La compagnia del cigno EP 2 - Part 6
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Sara (the speaker) could have said,

Che c'è, mi vedi troppo disinvolta forse?

What, do you see me as too flippant, perhaps?

Dite la verità, come vi sembro?

Tell me the truth, how do I look (to you)?

Caption 40, I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone S1EP1 I Bastardi - Part 16
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She could have said:

Dite la verità, come mi vedete?

Tell me the truth, how do I look (to you) [how do you see me]?

The way you want to comment will vary according to context and personal preference. But now you can choose! For more about sembrare, see this lesson.