<p>Why is there a preference for the word order 看上去总是 over 总是看上去?</p>
<p>I don't think it is a &quot;preference&quot; I'll say it is a &quot;qualifying imperative&quot; in the context of the sentence in question.</p>
<p>First, an adverb is a word or phrase that modifies or qualifies an adjective, verb, or other adverb or a word group, expressing a relation of place, time, circumstance, manner, cause, degree, etc. (e.g., gently, quite, then, there )</p>
<p>In the context of the sentence, 总是 is there to modify or qualify &quot;circumstance, manner, cause, degree&quot; of the sea's color, 大海, (i.e. manner, cause, degree of &quot;blueness&quot;), and not the verb &quot;看&quot;</p>
<p>This is made a qualifying imperative because in the upper part of the sentence, 海水越深，被散射和反射的蓝光就越多, (it's talking about the effect of &quot;light&quot; on the degree of blueness or otherwise of the sea, and so, 所以, the sea 总是蓝色的.</p>
<p>Therefore 总是 qualifies the sea's color or depth or degree of color and not the verb, 看; hence the &quot;preference&quot; of it's &quot;placement&quot; in the sentence.</p>

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2024-01-26T09:44:29.903Z
2024-01-26T10:53:35.957Z
2024-01-26T10:53:35.957Z
Wayne Cheah
<p><strong>看上去</strong> is an adverbial phrase. There are quite a few similar ones. For example,</p>
<p>他<strong>看上去</strong>很疲倦. It looks like he is very tired.</p>
<p>这件事我<strong>想起来</strong>就生气. Whenever I recall this matter, I feel angry. Recalling this matter makes me very angry.</p>
<p>这样<strong>发展下去</strong>后果会很严重. It would have a serious consequence if it kept going like this. Developing in this direction would cause very serious problems.</p>
<p><strong>看起来</strong>今年不会长工资了。It doesn’t seem we will get a raise this year. Considering the situation tells us that we will not have a chance to get an increase in the salary.</p>
<p>Those adverbial phrases are formed by a verb and an adverb. The verb can be translated into a present or past participle.</p>
<p>I can give you an example where the word orders can be switched. But it doesn’t apply to your original cases.</p>
<p>他<strong>看上去</strong>就是一个普通的孩子, 和别的小孩儿没有什么区别。（<strong>看上去</strong> modifies verb <strong>是</strong>)</p>
<p>他是一个<strong>看上去</strong>很普通的孩子, 和别的小孩儿没有什么区别。（<strong>看上去</strong> modifies adjective <strong>普通</strong>)</p>

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2024-03-01T21:14:35.183Z
2024-03-02T02:05:05.050Z
2024-03-02T02:05:05.050Z
PdotWang
<p><strong>总</strong>是 can be replaced by <strong>一直/经常</strong>是. Let's rewrite the sentences in question:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>大海看上去<strong>一直/经常</strong>&quot;是蓝色的&quot;.</p>
</li>
<li><p>大海<strong>一直/经常</strong>&quot;是看上去蓝色的&quot;.</p>
</li>
</ol>
<p>Without a doubt, the first sentence is preferred, as &quot;是蓝色的&quot; is a better phrase than &quot;是看上去蓝色的&quot;, in which the position of 是 is arguable - wouldn't it be better to say &quot;看上去<strong>是</strong>蓝色的&quot;?</p>
<p>Note, following the argument above, the second sentence would be fine if it changes to &quot;大海<strong>总</strong>&quot;看上去<strong>是</strong>蓝色的&quot;. However, it may not be preferable either.</p>

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2024-03-01T18:25:42.670Z
2024-03-02T01:57:40.643Z
2024-03-02T01:57:40.643Z
r13
<p>海水越深，<br />
(as) the sea water gets deeper,<br />
被散射和反射的蓝光就越多，<br />
the scattered and reflected blue light increases,<br />
所以，<br />
therefore,<br />
大海看上去总是蓝色的。<br />
when one looks at the deep ocean it always appears blue.</p>
<p>Consider:</p>
<p>大海总是看上去蓝色的。</p>
<p>There is a definite preference for time phrases to be in second position in Chinese phrases. But in your sentence, 大海看上去总是蓝色的。, 总是 in 总是蓝色的 refers not to the ocean but to 蓝色的. &quot;总是蓝色的 always blue&quot;. Every time you look, the deep ocean always appears blue.</p>
<p>With 总是 in second position in 大海总是看上去蓝色的, you can get a sense of &quot;the ocean always looks at the blue&quot;, which may be true in the daytime, when the sky above is blue, but not at night or on cloudy days and is probably not the intended meaning.</p>

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2024-01-27T09:55:49.480Z
2024-01-27T09:55:49.480Z
Pedroski
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/eKE3c.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/eKE3c.png" alt="I 'm not study in Chinese" /></a></p>
<p>I am not a professional Chinese learner, and the following answers are translated from Google Translate.
&quot;看起来总是&quot; and &quot;总是看起来&quot; are different to Chinese people, but the results given by Google Translate are the same.
For me, it is always an adverb, and the modifying verb should be placed after the verb. This is the opposite of English. The English I learn is mute English, and I don’t know how to speak it. I’m sorry.
If you have any other questions, please ask your Chinese teacher.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-03-01T06:17:05.240Z
2024-03-01T06:17:05.240Z
YeZhou
<p>看上去总是 and 总是看上去 mean two different things.</p>
<p>看上去总是 means &quot;when you look at (something), it always looks like&quot;</p>
<p>总是看上去 means... I don't know what it means since I have never seen it used before. I surmise it could mean &quot;when you always look at (something)&quot;</p>

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2024-01-31T03:43:51.443Z
2024-01-31T03:43:51.443Z
fat penguin
<p>A HSK5 past exam (<a href="https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/BUSFJOP6X0DcArEkdnuWMQ" rel="nofollow noreferrer">source</a>) says:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>……，海水越深，被散射和反射的蓝光就越多，所以，大海看上去<strong>总是</strong>蓝色的。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>(The question seems adapted from <a href="http://124.152.7.201/kpxy/swgwsm/content_119124" rel="nofollow noreferrer">here</a>, which instead writes 大海看上去<strong>总是</strong>碧蓝碧蓝的.)</p>
<p>I'm surprised by the placement of the 总是 here.  If it were me, I'd put 总是 before 看上去, as I'd naturally put an adverb 总是 before a verb 看.  However, Google gives <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=%22%E7%9C%8B%E4%B8%8A%E5%8E%BB%E6%80%BB%E6%98%AF%22" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><code>&quot;看上去总是&quot;</code></a> (810,000 hits) vs. <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=%22%E6%80%BB%E6%98%AF%E7%9C%8B%E4%B8%8A%E5%8E%BB%22" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><code>&quot;总是看上去&quot;</code></a> (45 hits), which suggests I'm on the wrong track.</p>
<p><strong>Question</strong>: Why is there a preference for the word order 看上去总是 over 总是看上去?</p>

<grammar><word-order>
Why is there a preference for the word order 看上去总是 over 总是看上去?
# Why is there a preference for the word order 看上去总是 over 总是看上去?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-01-26)

A HSK5 past exam ([source](https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/BUSFJOP6X0DcArEkdnuWMQ)) says:

> ……，海水越深，被散射和反射的蓝光就越多，所以，大海看上去**总是**蓝色的。

(The question seems adapted from [here](http://124.152.7.201/kpxy/swgwsm/content_119124), which instead writes 大海看上去**总是**碧蓝碧蓝的.)

I'm surprised by the placement of the 总是 here. If it were me, I'd put 总是 before 看上去, as I'd naturally put an adverb 总是 before a verb 看. However, Google gives [`"看上去总是"`](https://www.google.com/search?q=%22%E7%9C%8B%E4%B8%8A%E5%8E%BB%E6%80%BB%E6%98%AF%22) (810,000 hits) vs. [`"总是看上去"`](https://www.google.com/search?q=%22%E6%80%BB%E6%98%AF%E7%9C%8B%E4%B8%8A%E5%8E%BB%22) (45 hits), which suggests I'm on the wrong track.

**Question**: Why is there a preference for the word order 看上去总是 over 总是看上去?

**Tags:** grammar, word-order

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## 6 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2024-01-26. Score: 1

Why is there a preference for the word order 看上去总是 over 总是看上去?

I don't think it is a "preference" I'll say it is a "qualifying imperative" in the context of the sentence in question.

First, an adverb is a word or phrase that modifies or qualifies an adjective, verb, or other adverb or a word group, expressing a relation of place, time, circumstance, manner, cause, degree, etc. (e.g., gently, quite, then, there )

In the context of the sentence, 总是 is there to modify or qualify "circumstance, manner, cause, degree" of the sea's color, 大海, (i.e. manner, cause, degree of "blueness"), and not the verb "看"

This is made a qualifying imperative because in the upper part of the sentence, 海水越深，被散射和反射的蓝光就越多, (it's talking about the effect of "light" on the degree of blueness or otherwise of the sea, and so, 所以, the sea 总是蓝色的.

Therefore 总是 qualifies the sea's color or depth or degree of color and not the verb, 看; hence the "preference" of it's "placement" in the sentence.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2024-03-01. Score: 1

**看上去** is an adverbial phrase. There are quite a few similar ones. For example,

他**看上去**很疲倦. It looks like he is very tired.

这件事我**想起来**就生气. Whenever I recall this matter, I feel angry. Recalling this matter makes me very angry.

这样**发展下去**后果会很严重. It would have a serious consequence if it kept going like this. Developing in this direction would cause very serious problems.

**看起来**今年不会长工资了。It doesn’t seem we will get a raise this year. Considering the situation tells us that we will not have a chance to get an increase in the salary.

Those adverbial phrases are formed by a verb and an adverb. The verb can be translated into a present or past participle.

I can give you an example where the word orders can be switched. But it doesn’t apply to your original cases.

他**看上去**就是一个普通的孩子, 和别的小孩儿没有什么区别。（**看上去** modifies verb **是**)

他是一个**看上去**很普通的孩子, 和别的小孩儿没有什么区别。（**看上去** modifies adjective **普通**)


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### Answer by username_3 on 2024-03-01. Score: 1

**总**是 can be replaced by **一直/经常**是. Let's rewrite the sentences in question:

1. 大海看上去**一直/经常**"是蓝色的".
2. 大海**一直/经常**"是看上去蓝色的".

Without a doubt, the first sentence is preferred, as "是蓝色的" is a better phrase than "是看上去蓝色的", in which the position of 是 is arguable - wouldn't it be better to say "看上去**是**蓝色的"?

Note, following the argument above, the second sentence would be fine if it changes to "大海**总**"看上去**是**蓝色的". However, it may not be preferable either.


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### Answer by username_4 on 2024-01-27. Score: 0

海水越深，  
(as) the sea water gets deeper,  
被散射和反射的蓝光就越多，  
the scattered and reflected blue light increases,  
所以，  
therefore,  
大海看上去总是蓝色的。  
when one looks at the deep ocean it always appears blue.

Consider:

大海总是看上去蓝色的。

There is a definite preference for time phrases to be in second position in Chinese phrases. But in your sentence, 大海看上去总是蓝色的。, 总是 in 总是蓝色的 refers not to the ocean but to 蓝色的. "总是蓝色的 always blue". Every time you look, the deep ocean always appears blue.

With 总是 in second position in 大海总是看上去蓝色的, you can get a sense of "the ocean always looks at the blue", which may be true in the daytime, when the sky above is blue, but not at night or on cloudy days and is probably not the intended meaning.


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### Answer by username_5 on 2024-03-01. Score: 0

[![I 'm not study in Chinese](https://i.sstatic.net/eKE3c.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/eKE3c.png)

I am not a professional Chinese learner, and the following answers are translated from Google Translate.
"看起来总是" and "总是看起来" are different to Chinese people, but the results given by Google Translate are the same.
For me, it is always an adverb, and the modifying verb should be placed after the verb. This is the opposite of English. The English I learn is mute English, and I don’t know how to speak it. I’m sorry.
If you have any other questions, please ask your Chinese teacher.


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### Answer by username_6 on 2024-01-31. Score: 0

看上去总是 and 总是看上去 mean two different things.

看上去总是 means "when you look at (something), it always looks like"

总是看上去 means... I don't know what it means since I have never seen it used before. I surmise it could mean "when you always look at (something)"


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