怎么样
how is it?; what's it like?; how about it?
zěnmeyàng
What does 怎么样 mean?
怎么样 (zěnmeyàng) is one of the most useful HSK 1 question phrases — a flexible 'how is it / what's it like / what do you think?' It does three main jobs. First, it asks about a state or condition: 你最近怎么样? 'How have you been lately?' Second, it asks for an opinion: 这个菜怎么样? 'How's this dish?' Third, it's a soft suggestion or invitation: 我们去看电影怎么样? 'How about we go see a movie?' Two things English speakers should know: first, unlike 怎么 (zěnme, 'how' as in 'how do you do X'), 怎么样 asks about a state or evaluation, not a method — 'how do I get there' is 怎么去, not 怎么样去; second, the standalone answer 还行 (hái xíng, 'okay / so-so') or 不错 (búcuò, 'not bad') typically follows a 怎么样 question. The phrase is purely conversational — in writing, 如何 (rúhé) is the formal counterpart.
Character breakdown
how; in what way
question-particle suffix
appearance; way; kind
Memory hook: 怎 'how' + 么 'particle' + 样 'kind/way' = 'how-kind' = 'what's it like?' / 'how is it?'
Example sentences
你最近怎么样？
Nǐ zuìjìn zěnmeyàng?
How have you been lately?
spoken
这个菜怎么样？
Zhège cài zěnmeyàng?
How's this dish?
spoken
我们去喝咖啡，怎么样？
Wǒmen qù hē kāfēi, zěnmeyàng?
Let's go have coffee — how about it?
spoken
他的中文怎么样？
Tā de Zhōngwén zěnmeyàng?
How's his Chinese?
spoken
Common phrases with 怎么样
Synonyms
如何 is the formal/written equivalent of 怎么样. You'd see it in news, essays, and titles ('如何学中文' 'How to learn Chinese') but rarely in everyday speech. Saying 你如何 to a friend sounds bookish.
Don't confuse 怎么样 with
怎么 alone asks HOW (method) or WHY (cause): 怎么去 'how do we go?', 怎么了 'what's wrong?'. 怎么样 asks about a STATE or seeks an OPINION. 怎么吃 'how do you eat it?' vs 这个菜怎么样 'how's this dish?'
什么 = 'what' (asking for an identity or thing). 怎么样 = 'how/what's it like' (asking for evaluation). 这是什么 'what is this?' vs 这个怎么样 'how's this?'