pron.
how; how about; what about
怎么样
how; how about; what about
How is it? What do you think? Used to solicit someone's opinion or check on their condition.
Common Usage & Traps
- 你最近怎么样？ — How have you been lately?
- 这个菜怎么样？ — How is this dish? / What do you think of this dish?
- 我们去吃火锅，怎么样？ — How about we go eat hotpot?
- 身体怎么样？ — How is your health? / How are you feeling?
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我怎么样去？我怎么去？For asking method before a verb, use 怎么, not 怎么样. 怎么样 asks for an opinion or condition at the end.
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你觉得怎么样这个菜？你觉得这个菜怎么样？The thing being judged comes before 怎么样. English order tricks learners into moving 怎么样 too early.
What's the difference between 怎么 and 怎么样 when both mean 'how'?
怎么 asks method before a verb; 怎么样 asks opinion at the end.
Use 怎么 when you need the way something happens or the cause behind it. You ask 你怎么去? to mean How do you get there? Use 怎么样 when you want a judgment, feeling, or condition about something. You ask 这个菜怎么样? to mean How is this dish? English uses one how for both jobs, but Chinese splits them clearly.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Asking method | 你怎么去？ | 你怎么样去？ |
| Asking opinion | 这个菜怎么样？ | 怎么样这个菜？ |
| Word order | Subject first, then 怎么样 | 怎么样 first, then subject |
Why does 怎么样 come after the thing you're asking about?
怎么样 sits where the answer sits, so it lands after the subject.
English puts how at the front, so learners often try 怎么样苹果. Chinese makes 怎么样 the question about the thing, and the thing comes first. You say 小苹果怎么样, not 怎么样小苹果, because the thing must lead. The same order holds with 觉得: 你觉得怎么样? sounds fine, but 怎么样你觉得? does not.
“我问超市的人小苹果怎么样？” (I asked the staff at the supermarket what the small apples were like.)
“我问超市的人小苹果怎么样？” (I asked the staff at the supermarket what the small apples were like.)
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Word order | 小苹果怎么样？ | 怎么样小苹果？ |
| With 觉得 | 你觉得怎么样？ | 怎么样你觉得？ |
| With 是 | 苹果怎么样？ | 怎么样是苹果？ |
Can 怎么样 also mean 'How about...' when making a suggestion?
Yes. 怎么样 can float after a plan to mean 'What do you think?'.
怎么样 can invite a choice, not just check a condition. 我们去吃火锅，怎么样? means How about we go eat hotpot? You can also ask 这个方案怎么样? to get a coworker's real opinion. It is a soft way to say What do you think without pushing too hard.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Suggestion | 我们去看电影，怎么样？ | 我们怎么样去看电影？ |
| Opinion | 这个方案怎么样？ | 怎么样这个方案？ |
| Tone | Soft and open | Pushing for a method |
Appears in Stories 3 stories
Real context sentences across different daily scenarios and graded readings.
Follow Xiao Li as he copes with the effects of forest fires near his home in the US and reflects on environmental changes. A thoughtful story for HSK 4 learners.
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他给爸爸妈妈打了个电话，问他们那边 怎么样 。
Why would a millionaire leave a table of lobster and wagyu untouched? This story explores the hidden rules of business dining and the true cost of staying alert.
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他问我：“你们这行 怎么样 ？”
This short, simple story follows a shopper's trip to the supermarket to buy apples. You'll learn useful vocabulary for shopping, prices, and comparing things.
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我问超市的人小苹果 怎么样 ？
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