Learn Hardcore Chinese: nǐ juéde tā zhè jiàn yīfu zěnmeyàng? kànqǐlái tèbié héshì. - What do you think of his clothes? They look especially suitable.

It’s a very common opinion-asking pattern meaning “What do you think of…?” or “How is…?”. It wraps the topic inside 你觉得 … 怎么样？, inviting a qualitative judgment rather than a yes/no answer.

Example: 你觉得这家餐厅怎么样？ “What do you think of this restaurant?”

How is 觉得 different from 认为 and 感觉?

觉得 is the default, casual way to express an opinion or feeling (“I think/feel that…”).
认为 sounds more formal/analytical, often used in written or serious contexts.
感觉 emphasizes bodily/emotional feeling or a subjective sense; it can also mean “to feel (that)”.
Example: 我觉得/我认为/我感觉他今天有点累。

Why use 怎么样 instead of adding 吗 to make a question?

怎么样 asks for an evaluation or “how is it?”, inviting detail. 吗 makes a yes/no question. Compare:

你觉得他这件衣服怎么样？ “What do you think of his clothing (this piece)?”
你觉得他这件衣服合适吗？ “Do you think his clothing is suitable?” (yes/no)

What’s the subject of the second sentence 看起来特别合适?

It’s omitted because it’s obvious from context: the subject is 他这件衣服/这件衣服. Chinese often drops subjects when they’re clear.

Full version: 这件衣服看起来特别合适。

Why not say 是合适? Do adjectives need a linking verb?

Chinese stative adjectives function like verbs, so you don’t need 是 before them. You typically add a degree adverb (like 很/挺/非常/特别) unless there’s another element (e.g., 看起来) already linking it.

Natural: （看起来）特别合适。
Unnatural: （看起来）是合适。 (avoid)

Do I need 很 before 合适 here?

No. 看起来 already sets up the adjectival predicate, and 特别 supplies the degree. You could also say 看起来很合适 (more neutral), but here 特别 adds emphasis.

What’s the difference between 合适, 适合, and 合身?

合适 is an adjective: “suitable/appropriate.”
- 这件衣服很合适。
适合 is a verb: “to suit/be suitable for” + object.
- 这件衣服适合他。
合身 specifically means “fits the body well” (size/cut).
- 这件衣服很合身。 Note: Don’t say 看起来特别适合 by itself; use an object: 看起来特别适合他.

Where does 看起来 go? Can I put it at the start?

Place 看起来 before the adjective phrase of the thing you’re evaluating:

Best: 这件衣服看起来特别合适。 Starting with it is fine if the subject is clear from context (as in your sentence): （这件衣服）看起来特别合适。

Why is there no 的 in 他这件衣服?

This is the “possessor + classifier phrase” structure: [pronoun] + [这/那/number + classifier] + noun. It’s common and natural in speech when pointing to a specific item.

他这件衣服 ≈ “this particular piece of clothing of his.”

Is 他的这件衣服 also correct? Any nuance difference?

Yes. 他的这件衣服 is a bit more explicit and can feel slightly more formal or contrastive (emphasizing “his, this one”). 他这件衣服 is more colloquial and compact. Both are fine.

Is 这件他的衣服 okay?

Generally avoid that order. Say 他的这件衣服 or 这件衣服是他的. The typical pattern is possessor before the classifier phrase, not after the demonstrative.

What does the measure word 件 cover? When would I use 条 instead?

件 is for tops/general articles: shirts, T‑shirts, sweaters, coats, dresses (often also 条 for dresses is used depending on variety), and generic 衣服. 条 is for long, narrow items: pants (裤子), skirts (裙子), scarves.

一件衣服/外套/毛衣
一条裤子/裙子/围巾

Can 衣服 be plural? How do I say “clothes”?

衣服 can mean “clothes” in general without plural marking. Use numbers + measure for counting:

General: 我买了衣服。 (“I bought clothes.”)
Counted: 我买了两件衣服。

How do I pronounce some tricky parts here?

衣服 yīfu: second syllable is neutral (fu).
觉得 juéde: de is neutral.
看起来 kànqǐlái: tones 4‑3‑2.
特别 tèbié: 4‑2.
合适 héshì: 2‑4.
怎么样 zěnmeyàng: 3‑neutral‑4.

What’s the difference between 看起来, 看上去, and 好像?

All can express appearance/seeming.

看起来/看上去 ≈ “looks/appears” (visual impression; near‑synonyms).
好像 ≈ “seems/it seems like,” often adds subjectivity/inference and doesn’t have to be visual.
看起来很合适 / 看上去很合适 / 好像很合适 (all natural, with small nuance differences).

Can I say 看起来像… here?

Use 看起来像… to compare or identify: “looks like…”

看起来像新的。 “It looks new.” For adjectives, use 看起来 + adj:
看起来很/特别合适。

How do I make a negative or softer opinion?

Softer: 看起来不太合适。 (“doesn’t look very suitable”)
Plain negative: 看起来不合适。
Strong: 看起来特别不合适。

Can I add 穿 to emphasize “wearing”?

Yes. These are natural:

你觉得他穿这件衣服怎么样？
这件衣服他穿起来怎么样？ (using 起来 to mean “when worn”)
这件衣服穿在他身上看起来很合适。

What’s the nuance of 特别 vs 很/非常/挺/太?

很: neutral “very.”
非常: stronger, formal-ish “extremely/very.”
特别: “especially/particularly,” often highlights contrast/emphasis.
挺…的: colloquial “quite.”
太…了: “so/too… (le)” often with emotional emphasis. Here, 特别合适 is stronger than 很合适.

Does 怎么样 ask for quality or method? Is it the same as 怎么?

Here 怎么样 asks about quality/opinion (“How is it?”). 怎么 asks about method (“how to/how come”).

这件衣服怎么样？ “How is this piece of clothing?”
这个怎么用？ “How do you use this?”

Is 你 okay in polite contexts, or should I use 您? Can I add sentence particles?

Use 您 for extra politeness/formality: 您觉得…怎么样？ Adding particles can soften or make it conversational:

你觉得他这件衣服怎么样啊？
你觉得他这件衣服怎么样呢？ (gentle, inviting)