最近怎么样
zuì jìn zěn me yàng
What's up · trad. 最近怎麼樣
最近怎么样 (zuìjìn zěnmeyàng) is a friendly and common way to ask "what's up?" or "how have you been lately?" in Mandarin Chinese. It's used to casually inquire about someone's recent life or situation.
When to use it
Casual and friendly. It's often used among friends, family, or colleagues you know well. For a more general "how are things?", you can just say 怎么样 (zěnmeyàng). For a very casual "what are you doing?", especially in text, use 在干嘛 (zài gànmá). When someone asks you this, common replies include 挺好的，你呢？ (tǐng hǎo de, nǐ ne?, "Pretty good, how about you?") or 还不错 (hái bùcuò, "Not bad").
How to pronounce it
Sounds like "ZWAY-jeen TSEHN-muh-YANG." The first syllable of 怎么样 (zěn) has a rising tone, and the middle syllable (么) is a light, neutral tone.
Other ways to say it
- 怎么样zěn me yànghow are things? (more general)
- 在干嘛zài gān mawhat are you doing? (very casual, often in text)
- 有什么新鲜事吗yǒu shén me xīn xiān shì mawhat's new? (asking for updates)
Examples
嘿，最近怎么样？
hēi ， zuì jìn zěn me yàng ？
Hey, what's up lately?
好久不见，你最近怎么样？
hǎo jiǔ bú jiàn ， nǐ zuì jìn zěn me yàng ？
Long time no see, how have you been lately?
最近怎么样？工作还顺利吗？
zuì jìn zěn me yàng ？ gōng zuò hái shùn lì ma ？
What's up? Is work going smoothly?
Pro tip: 最近怎么样 is a social greeting, not usually a demand for a detailed life update. A brief, positive response followed by asking the other person back (你呢？) is a common and polite interaction.
Related phrases
和平 · Peace钱 · Money闭嘴 · Shut up
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