Question

What are the distinctions between zěnme 怎么 and zěnmeyàng 怎么样？

Answer 1

zěnme 怎么 and zěnmeyàng 怎么样 can both means ‘how to’, as question words to ask methods.

While they are distinct when asking reasons and features of things. To be precise, zěnme 怎么 can be used to ask reasons with the meaning of ‘why’ while zěnmeyàng 怎么样 can be used to ask feature and states of people or things, with the meaning of ‘how about’. For example,

1）你怎么不喜欢他？

Nǐ   zěnme   bùxǐhuan     tā

You  why    don’t like   him

‘Why you don’t like him?’

2）这个人怎么样？

Zhègè      rén       zěnmeyàng？

This      person      how about

‘How about this person?’

Comments

zěnme 怎么 and zěnmeyàng 怎么样 are also different when matching with negative word bù 不.
‘Bùzěnme不怎么’ means ‘not too’ while ‘Bùzěnmeyàng不怎么样’ means ‘not good’.