怎样 zěn yàng
“how; what kind”
pronoun2021 list level 2Traditional 怎樣
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
怎样 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 965: 怎样 zěnyàng — Level 3; official annotation 3 (代). PDF page 104
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 怎样
怎样 is an interrogative pronoun meaning "how" or "what … is like", common in writing and formal speech. Use it before a verb to ask about manner (怎样去、怎样解决), as a predicate to ask about a situation or opinion (情况怎样？), or before 的 + noun (怎样的人); the pattern 怎样一个人 also occurs. In casual conversation 怎么样 is more frequent, and unlike 怎么, 怎样 does not ask for a reason.
例句Example sentences
- 你打算怎样解决这个问题？nǐ dǎ suàn zěn yàng jiě jué zhè ge wèn tí?How do you plan to solve this problem?
- 明天的天气怎样？míng tiān de tiān qì zěn yàng?What will the weather be like tomorrow?
- 我不太清楚他是怎样的人。wǒ bú tài qīng chu tā shì zěn yàng de rén.I'm not really sure what kind of person he is.
常见错误Common mistakes
-
✗他是一个怎样人？
✓他是一个怎样的人？
Here 怎样 cannot directly precede 人; add 的: 怎样的人.
易混词Easily confused
怎样vs怎么
怎么 also asks about manner but can additionally ask for a reason (你怎么没来？), which 怎样 cannot; 怎样 is more formal and often prefers written contexts.