# Thế nào: how / what like? in Vietnamese (A1)

> To ask what something is like, put thế nào or như thế nào after it: Phim đó thế nào? What was that film like? Đà Lạt như thế nào? What's Đà Lạt like?

Source: https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/the-nao-how/ · Updated 2026-11-10

**how / what like?**

Pattern: `[noun] + (như) thế nào? · [person] + [verb] + sao?`

Level: A1 (our estimate) · Register: everyday

Typed without accents: the nao, sao, nhu the nao

Saigon: sao; (như) thế nào | Hà Nội: thế nào; như thế nào

Variants:

- ra sao (how did it turn out)

To ask what something is like, put *thế nào* or *như thế nào* after it: *Phim đó thế nào?* What was that film like? *Đà Lạt như thế nào?* What's Đà Lạt like? There's no *là* right before it, just as there's none before an adjective. To ask what kind of person or place, use *là* + noun + *như thế nào*: *Anh ấy là người như thế nào?* What is he like?

In everyday Saigon speech, *sao* at the end is the usual word: *Anh thấy sao?* What do you think? *Dạo này sao rồi?* How have things been lately? *Thế nào* is used too, a little more carefully. In Hà Nội *thế nào* is the everyday word.

After a verb, *sao* or *thế nào* asks how something is done: *Món này ăn sao?* How do you eat this? To ask how to do something, say *làm sao để*: *Làm sao để đi chợ Bến Thành?* How do I get to Bến Thành market?

The answer is usually an adjective: *Hay lắm!* Really good! *Cũng được.* It's OK.

Watch where *sao* goes. After a verb at the end it means "how"; at the start it means "why": *Sao em không đi?* Why aren't you going?

## A common mistake

✗ Phim đó là thế nào?

✓ Phim đó thế nào?

Like an adjective, *thế nào* needs no *là* in front. *Là thế nào* asks what something means.

## Examples

- Phim đó thế nào? — What was that film like?
- Hay lắm! — Really good!
- Saigon: Anh thấy sao? | Hà Nội: Anh thấy thế nào? — What do you think?
- Saigon: Món này ăn sao vậy chị? | Hà Nội: Món này ăn thế nào chị? — How do you eat this dish?

## Words in this pattern

- [như thế nào](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/nhu-the-nao/#s_nhu_the_nao): how
- [sao](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/sao-why/#lx_sao): how
- [thế nào](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/words/the-nao/#lx_the_nao): how

## Compare

- [How (can)? làm sao](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/lam-sao-how/): how / how could?
- [Why? tại sao / vì sao / sao first](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/tai-sao-why/): why?

Previous in Asking questions: [How many, how much: bao nhiêu](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/bao-nhieu-how-many/)
Next in Asking questions: [Is that OK? …, được không?](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/duoc-khong-request/)

---

Add to Vietnamese Buddy: https://app.vietnamesebuddy.com/waitlist?source=grammar%3Au_the_nao_how
In the app, the grammar points from your own class material are kept with their status, and any word you meet while reading can go into your lexicon with its audio, ready to study.