How To Use The Spanish Verb Parecer

This lesson covers how to use the Spanish verb "parecer." This is a Spanish verb which students sometimes have problems, because it is used in different ways and with different meanings. This verb is Parecer (to seem, to look like, to appear), and you can also use it as a reflexive verb and like a verb with the Indirect Object. Let's see each case:

PARECER
Yo parezco
Tú pareces
Ud./Él/Ella parece
Nosotros-as parecemos
Uds./Ellos-as parecen

In this case, we use parecer to speak about our impression of someone.

Pareces cansado, ¿Dormiste bien? (You look tired, did you sleep well?)

No conozco mucho a esa chica, pero parece simpática. (I don't not know much about this girl, but she seems nice.)

Él parecía muy inteligente, pero obviamente nos hemos equivocado, él ha respondido la mayoría de las preguntas incorrectamente. (He seemed very intelligent, but obviously we were wrong, he answered most of the questions incorrectly.)

PARECERSE
Me parezco
Te pareces
Se parece A (Person)
Nos parecemos
Se parece

We use Parecerse to compare one person with another person who we think is similar.

Juan se parece a su papá, porque ambos son altos. (Juan is like his father, because both are tall.)

¿A quién te pareces de tu familia? (Who do you look like in your family?)

Yo me parezco a mi mamá y mi hermano se parece a mi papá. (I look like my mom and my brother looks like my dad.)

When we are not being specific about if we are speaking about personality or physical, we are speaking about physical, if not, normally we have to be specific.

A mi mamá le encantan las matemáticas, y yo soy muy mala en matemáticas, las odio. En eso no nos parecemos. ( My mom loves math, and I am very bad at math, I hate it. In this case we are not alike.)

PARECER with Indirect Object
(A mí) Me
(A vos/ti) Te
(A Ud./él/ella) Le Parece/n
(A nosotros) Nos
(A ustedes/ellos) Les

In this case, the verb is used to make opinions.

¿Qué te parece el último CD de Julio Iglesias? (What do you think about the last CD of Julio Iglesias?)
Me parece un poco aburrido. (I think it is a bit boring.)
Me parece + Adjective: Me parece bueno. (I think it is good.)
Me parece que + Phrase with verb: Me parece que tiene muchas canciones lindas. (I think that it has a lot of nice songs.)
 

As with the verb Gustar, if after the verb I have a noun in plural, I have to use it in plural too.
¿Qué te parecen estas fotografías? (What do you think about these pictures?)
Me parecen geniales. (I think they are great.)