benotnobody Posted June 3, 2004 at 11:11 AM Report Share Posted June 3, 2004 at 11:11 AM When I meet friends I usually say 怎么样 (zen3 me yang4). This literally means something like "how" but it's a kind of colloquial greeting I picked up from some place or another. Can anyone please tell me if this is correct/common or not? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roddy Posted June 3, 2004 at 11:47 AM Report Share Posted June 3, 2004 at 11:47 AM Yeah, it's fine. Kind of similar to 'how's it going' in English, I guess. Friendly, informal, casual. Roddy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shibo77 Posted June 4, 2004 at 03:12 AM Report Share Posted June 4, 2004 at 03:12 AM 最近怎么样? Zui4 jin4 zen3 me5 yang4? Similar to "How are you? How is it going?..." roddy Site Admin Joined: 24 May 2003 Posts: 888 Location: Beijing 888 good number! -Shibo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeijingSlacker Posted June 11, 2004 at 12:38 AM Report Share Posted June 11, 2004 at 12:38 AM Extremely casual and only used between acquaintance and friends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfr@rcn.com Posted June 11, 2004 at 05:46 PM Report Share Posted June 11, 2004 at 05:46 PM and what's the answer to zenme yang? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
confucius Posted June 11, 2004 at 07:20 PM Report Share Posted June 11, 2004 at 07:20 PM You can reply with the same question: "zenme yang?" Example: Confucius: "Yo! Yao Ming! Zenme yang?" Yao Ming: "Hei! Confucius! Zenme yang?" So, what do you think of my answer? (zenme yang?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfr@rcn.com Posted June 11, 2004 at 07:44 PM Report Share Posted June 11, 2004 at 07:44 PM hao. Hen hao. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trevelyan Posted June 17, 2004 at 02:19 PM Report Share Posted June 17, 2004 at 02:19 PM >> and what's the answer to zenme yang? 不怎么样 translates as "nothing much" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haoqide Posted June 22, 2004 at 09:03 PM Report Share Posted June 22, 2004 at 09:03 PM From what I'm told, this is a more common greeting among younger people. I've been told that often older people won't know how to respond to this greeting, and they'll respond with something like, "What do you mean?" I've actually had this happen to me once, but I'm not sure if it's a widespread thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
39degN Posted June 23, 2004 at 06:01 AM Report Share Posted June 23, 2004 at 06:01 AM just simply saying "zen me yang?" is a little bit weird, we usually say "最近(过得)怎么样?" for example: -嘿, 最近怎么样? -还行/还成/还好/马马虎虎吧, 你怎么样? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disenchant Posted June 25, 2004 at 05:36 AM Report Share Posted June 25, 2004 at 05:36 AM The most common response, as far as me and my circle would use, would be [还好]. If somebody replied [还成], I would immediately label them as a out of province [外地] person. I'm guessing it's a [东北] Northeast thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quest Posted June 25, 2004 at 05:51 AM Report Share Posted June 25, 2004 at 05:51 AM 还成, 成不? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roddy Posted June 25, 2004 at 06:03 AM Report Share Posted June 25, 2004 at 06:03 AM 成 is quite often used here in Beijng as a substitute for 行. Where in China are you, Disenchant? Roddy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disenchant Posted June 25, 2004 at 07:36 PM Report Share Posted June 25, 2004 at 07:36 PM Hubei, Wuhan and sometimes Sichuan too, because that's my mother's side. [成] is used an awful lot in wuxia and 古装电视剧. It just shows how Beijing-centric things are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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