Level 1 Lesson 23.1 – How Is the Weather Here?

Grammar 1: Ask How Is Something in Chinese with 怎么样 · HSK 1

In the last lesson we learned the Question Pronounce 怎么 zěnme, and today we'll learn the Question Phrase  zěnmeyàng 怎么样 in Chinese.

怎么样 in Chinese as two usages:

(1) to ask how is something in Chinese or how is someone in Chinese

(1.a) ask people's opinion on someone/something

(1.b) ask how someone has been lately

(2) to ask how about something in Chinese

Firstly, when we want to ask how is something in Chinese or how is someone in Chinese, we can follow this structure:

Subject + 怎么样 ?

For example,

(1.a) ask for someone's opinion on something/someone,

• zhèjiā fànguǎnde jiǎozi zěnmeyàng
  这家饭馆的饺子怎么样？
  how are this "jia" (of) restaurant's dumplings (are they good or not)
• zhèsuǒ xuéxiàode lǎoshī zěnmeyàng
  这所学校的老师怎么样？
  how are this "suo" (of) school's teachers (are they good or not)

(1.b) ask how someone has been recently,

• nǐde nǚpéngyou zěnmeyàng
  你的女朋友怎么样？
  how is your girlfriend
• nǐ zài Zhōngguó zěnmeyàng
  你在中国怎么样？
  how have you been in China

Grammar 2: Ask How About Something in Chinese with 怎么样 · HSK 1

And secondly, we can ask how about something in Chinese with 怎么样 as well. We can follow this structure:

a suggestion,  怎么样?

For example,

• nǐmen jīntiān wǎnshàng lái wǒjiā kàn diànyǐng chī pīsà, zěnmeyàng
  你们今天晚上来我家看电影吃披萨，怎么样？
  you guys this evening come to my house to watch (a) movie (and) eat pizza, how about that
• wǒmen mǎitiáo gǒu, zěnmeyàng
  我们买条狗，怎么样？
  we buy a dog, how about that

Grammar 3: Adverb 非常 in Chinese · HSK 1

We learned the Adverb 很 hěn before, which suggests degree. Today we'll learn another Adverb that also suggests degree - féicháng 非常.

非常 can be directly translated as "very; unusually; extraordinarily". It is usually used before an Adjective like this:

非常 + adj.

For example:

• zhège Hànzì fēicháng hǎoxiě
  这个汉字非常好写。
  this "ge" (of) Chinese character (is) unusually easy to write
• Shànghǎi jīntiānde tiānqì fēicháng rè
  上海今天的天气非常热！
  Shanghai today's weather (is) unusually hot

非常 can also be used before some Stative Verbs such as 喜欢, 爱, 想 like this:

非常 + Stative v.

• wǒ fēicháng xǐhuan māo
  我非常喜欢猫。
  I like cats very much
• tā fēicháng 'ài tāde nǚpéngyou 
  他非常爱他的女朋友。
  he loves his girlfriend very much
• wǒmen fēicháng xiǎng xué zěnme xiě Hànzì
  我们非常想学怎么写汉字。
  we want to learn how to write Chinese characters very much

Grammar 4: Compare Adverbs 非常 vs. 很 in Chinese · HSK 1

Literally, hěn 很 can be translated as "very; quite; pretty", while fēicháng 非常 can be translated as "unusually; extraordinarily".

However, when we compare the degree of emphasis among 很, 非常 and their English literal translation, the chart below is more realistic.