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怎么样 (zěn me yàng) — (interrogative) how (asking about condition or state); (interrogative) how about (for suggestions or asking opinions)

Definition

怎么样 (zěnme-yàng) is a full question word used to ask for opinions or evaluations — 'how is it?' / 'how about it?' — usually at the end of a sentence. The shorter 怎么 (zěnme) asks 'how/why' about manner and can go before the verb.

pronoun
(interrogative) how (asking about condition or state)(interrogative) how about (for suggestions or asking opinions)

Examples

  • 怎么样？
    Nǐ zěn me yàng?
    How are you?
  • 怎么样？
    Zhè ge zěn me yàng?
    How about this one?
  • 怎么样？
    Wǒ men kàn shū zěn me yàng?
    How about we read books?

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

怎么how
怎zěnhow么me
后缀Suffix
样yàngkind/state

The 怎么 means how, and 样 means kind or state, so it asks about condition or opinion.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
乍
乍zhà怎zěn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

怎 is made from 心 (heart) and 乍, which gives the sound zhà.

Open 怎 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 麼; 么 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
幺幺yāosmall, tiny
Sound part声符shēngfú
麻
麻má麼
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 麼 pairs 麻, which gives the sound, with 幺, which means small/tiny; the simplified 么 is a later shorthand.

Open 么 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 樣; 样 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mùwood
Sound part声符shēngfú
羕
羕yàng樣yàng
Same sound today

For 样, the traditional form 樣 pairs 木 (wood) with 羕 as a sound part.

Open 样 →

Grammar

Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 1500 Most Frequent Chinese WordsHSK 2.0 Level 11000 Most Frequent Chinese Words2000 Most Frequent Chinese Words3000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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