Inklingo

How to Say "looked" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “looked” is “parecía” — use 'parecía' when describing how someone or something visually appeared or seemed at a particular moment, focusing on an impression or outward appearance..

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parecía

VerbA2General
Use 'parecía' when describing how someone or something visually appeared or seemed at a particular moment, focusing on an impression or outward appearance.

Examples

El edificio parecía muy antiguo.

The building looked very old.

quedó

VerbA2General
Use 'quedó' to describe the final appearance or result of something on a person or object, often related to fit or how something turned out.

Examples

La camisa te quedó perfecta.

The shirt looked perfect on you.

quedaba

keh-DAH-bah/keˈðaβa/

VerbB1General
Use 'quedaba' when referring to how something looked in terms of suitability or style, especially regarding clothing and accessories, focusing on a past state.
A small, simple character wearing an extremely large, bright red sweater that is many sizes too big. The sleeves dangle far past their fingertips, showing that the clothing did not fit correctly.

Examples

Ese peinado te quedaba muy juvenil.

That hairstyle looked very youthful on you.

El sombrero le quedaba muy bien con su traje azul.

The hat looked very good (suited him/her) with his blue suit.

La ropa de niño me quedaba pequeña cuando tenía diez años.

The children's clothes fit me small when I was ten years old.

Use with 'Le' or 'Me'

When talking about how clothes fit, you almost always need an indirect pronoun: 'Me quedaba' (it fit me), 'Le quedaba' (it fit him/her). The subject is the clothing, not the person!

quedaron

/ke-DAH-ron//keˈð̞a.ɾon/

VerbB1General
Use 'quedaron' when describing the resulting appearance or impression of multiple people or things, indicating they looked a certain way after an event or change.
Two children, a boy and a girl, dressed neatly in bright, tidy clothing, standing side-by-side and smiling, depicting a positive appearance.

Examples

Los resultados quedaron sorprendentes.

The results looked surprising.

Los nuevos uniformes quedaron muy elegantes.

The new uniforms looked very elegant.

Las cortinas rojas no quedaron bien con la pared azul.

The red curtains didn't look good (didn't go well) with the blue wall.

Después de la remodelación, las habitaciones quedaron mucho más amplias.

After the remodel, the rooms turned out much more spacious.

Quedar + Adjective

In this sense, 'quedar' is often followed by a descriptive word (an adjective) to explain the state or appearance of the subject.

Choosing between 'parecía' and 'quedó/quedaba'

Learners often confuse 'parecía' (seemed/looked like) with 'quedó' or 'quedaba' (looked on someone/fit). Remember that 'parecía' describes an impression or general appearance, while 'quedó/quedaba' refers to how something looked specifically on a person or as a result.

Related Translations

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