-(으)ㄴ/는 모양이다

Use -(으)ㄴ/는 모양이다 to make a guess about someone or something based on what you have just seen or heard: "it looks like / apparently".

추측·판단Guessing & judging

Han: You feel your own tiredness directly, so you are not guessing from evidence; for your own state use -(으)ㄴ/는 것 같다 instead of 모양이다.

Examples

저 식당 앞에 항상 줄이 긴 걸 보니 음식이 맛있는 모양이에요.There's always a long line in front of that restaurant, so the food must be good.

길이 젖어 있는 걸 보니 밤에 비가 온 모양이에요.The road is wet, so it looks like it rained during the night.

민수 씨가 아침부터 계속 하품을 하네요. 어젯밤에 잠을 못 잔 모양이에요.Minsu has been yawning since the morning. He apparently didn't sleep last night.

하늘이 많이 흐려졌어요. 곧 눈이 올 모양이에요.The sky has clouded over a lot. It looks like it's going to snow soon.

Don’t mix up

-(으)ㄴ/는 모양이다vs-(으)ㄴ/는 것 같다것 같다 also works for your own feelings and soft opinions; 모양이다 needs outside evidence and is usually not about yourself: 저는 감기에 걸린 것 같아요 (natural), not 저는 감기에 걸린 모양이에요.

-(으)ㄴ/는 모양이다vs-나 보다 / -(으)ㄴ가 보다Same evidence-based meaning, but -나 보다 sounds more casual and conversational, while 모양이다 is a bit more neutral and also fits writing: 밖에 비가 오나 봐요 ≈ 밖에 비가 오는 모양이에요.

How to build it

V+는 모양이다 (present)

V+(으)ㄴ 모양이다 (past)

V+(으)ㄹ 모양이다 (future)

A+(으)ㄴ 모양이다

N+인 모양이다

오다 → 오는 모양이다, 온 모양이다, 올 모양이다; 바쁘다 → 바쁜 모양이다; 학생 → 학생인 모양이다

There must be some evidence behind the guess (a wet road, a long queue, what someone said). It is not used for a pure personal opinion; for that use -(으)ㄴ/는 것 같다.
It is usually not used about your own feelings or state, which you know directly. The exception is discovering something about yourself from evidence: 내가 깜빡 잠이 든 모양이다 (I must have dozed off).
Tense is shown before 모양: a past event takes V-(으)ㄴ 모양이다 (온 모양이다), not *왔는 모양이다; a future guess takes -(으)ㄹ 모양이다.
It is a statement ending: it is normally not used in questions, commands or suggestions.

Classic mistake

Wrong: ~~저는 요즘 너무 피곤한 모양이에요.~~

Right: 저는 요즘 너무 피곤한 것 같아요.

You feel your own tiredness directly, so you are not guessing from evidence; for your own state use -(으)ㄴ/는 것 같다 instead of 모양이다.

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