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怎样 (zěn yàng) — how (in what way; also used to ask for an opinion or evaluation); what kind of (asking about type or character)

Definition

怎样 (zěnyàng) and 怎么 both mean 'how', but 怎样 is slightly more formal and often asks about type, character, or opinion (你最近怎样?). 怎么样 is the most common conversational variant.

pronoun
how (in what way; also used to ask for an opinion or evaluation)what kind of (asking about type or character)

Examples

  • 怎样？
    Nǐ zěn yàng zuò fàn?
    How do you cook?
  • 怎样？
    Nǐ xiǎng zhǎo zěn yàng de gōng zuò?
    What kind of job are you looking for?
  • 怎样？
    Nǐ jué de zhè ge diàn yǐng zěn yàng?
    What do you think of this movie?

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zěnhow
样yàngkind/state

The 怎 means how, and 样 means kind or state, so it asks about manner or type.

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 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 →
Appears in
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