他們看起來好像要哭了。

They looked as if they would cry.

Source: Tatoeba

Sentence Composition

1 他們 tāmen they; them
=2 看起來 kànqǐlai seemingly; apparently; looks as if; appears to be; gives the impression that; seems on the face of it to be
=2 看起來 kànqilai
  1. to look and perceive
  2. to seem; to look as if
3 好像 hǎoxiàng
  1. as if
  2. to seem like
=4 要 yāo (bound form) to demand; to coerce
=4 要 yào
  1. to want; to need; to ask for
  2. will; shall; about to
  3. need to; should
  4. if (same as 要是 yàoshi)
  5. (bound form) important
=4 要 yǎo
  1. (archaic) alternative form of 偠 (yǎo)
  2. alternative form of 偠 (yǎo)
  3. used in 要褭／要袅
5 哭 kū to cry; to weep
=6 了 le
  1. (completed action marker)
  2. (modal particle indicating change of state, situation now)
  3. (modal particle intensifying preceding clause)
=6 了 liǎo
  1. to finish
  2. (used with 得 dé or 不 bù after a verb to express (im)possibility, as in 忘不了 wàngbuliǎo "cannot forget")
  3. (literary) (usually followed by a negative such as 无 wú or 不 bù) completely (not); entirely (not); (not) in the least
  4. to understand clearly (variant of 了 liǎo)
=6 了 liǎo
  1. (of eyes) bright
  2. clear-sighted
  3. to understand clearly
=6 了 liào unofficial variant of 瞭 liào