How to use in Spanish: Parecer

Parecer meaning de Zeta Hache

The Spanish verb “Parecer” might not have as many meanings as some other words in this collection, but it’s one of the most frequently used in Spanish. It also serves as a great example of the three main structures found in Spanish verbs conjugation.

Perceptions 👁️

In its standard form, “parecer” can be translated as “to seem” or “to look” in English. It’s used to talk about perceptions or impressions. Some examples:

• “Parece que va a llover.” (It looks like it’s going to rain.)
• “Pareces cansado/a.” (You look tired.)
• “Parece fácil/difícil.” (It looks easy/difficult.)
• “Parece mentira”, “it’s hard to believe” or “it can be true”, is a widely used expression with this usage.

To look like 👯

In its reflexive form, “parecerse a” means to look like or be similar to somebody or something.

• “Me parezco a mi madre.” (I look like my mother.)
• “Esta ciudad se parece a mi ciudad.” (This city is similar to my city.)

A common expression coming from this meaning, “es parecido/a” or “son parecidos”, meaning “it’s similar” or “they are similar”.

Expressing and Asking for Opinions 💭

“Parecer” is also used to express or ask for an opinion. It follows the same way of conjugating as “gustar”, it requires indirect object pronouns and follows the same rules.

• Me/ Te/ Le/Nos/Os/Les parece bien/mal/bonito/caro/barato…(singular nouns)
• Me/ Te/Le/Nos/Os/Les pareceN caros/baratos/bonitos… (plural nouns)

It’s usually followed by an adjective or adverb to express or ask about something:

• “¿Qué te parece?” (What do you think?)
• “Me parece bien/mal/regular…” (I think it’s ok/not ok/so-so…)
• “Me parecen muy ricos.” (I think they are very tasty.)
• “¿Qué te parece este lugar?” (What do you think about this place?)

Using Music to Learn Spanish 🎶

Did you know that music activates a part of our brain associated with emotions and memory? That’s why kids learn through songs.

This connection makes music a powerful tool for learning languages. Music can help you grasp the rhythm, stress patterns, pronunciation and “chunks” of a language.

“Chunks” are groups of words that commonly go together, including idiomatic expressions, collocations, phrasal verbs, and other grammatical structures. “Chunks” are very important in language learning, they can help in predicting meaning and are a powerful tool to learn vocabulary and communicate effectively.

Lyrics Training🎧

If you would like to give a go to this approach, LyricsTraining is a free online platform (also an app) that uses music to facilitate language learning.

You can select a song based on language, music genre, and language proficiency level. As the song plays, the lyrics appear on your screen with some words missing.

The challenge is to listen carefully and fill in the gaps, with the difficulty ranging from filling in a few words (beginner level) to almost all of them (expert level).

For words you don’t recognize, the platform provides translation tools to help enhance your vocabulary.

LyricsTraining includes a Karaoke mode to sing along with your favorite songs.

Practice “Parecer” 🗣️

A famous song in Spanish that features the verb “parecer” is “Bonito”.

Practice this song on LyricsTraining:

Bonito (Jarabe de Palo, 2003) 🎵

Bonito (Karaoke version) 🎤

Practice “parecer” meanings matching common sentences in Spanish and English:

Common phrases with “Parecer”

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