What is the book like?

Question

What is the book like?

It is interesting

I suppose that I must say: what is the book like? instead of "how is the book?".

Is that it?

Answer 1

What is that book like? ( You are asking about the characteristics of the book)

How is that book?

Both can mean more or less the same but .......

How is something most often used to ask about people.

Example:

"My mother is in hospital" - "oh really, how is she?" and not "what is she like?"

Books have no feelings so normally we would not ask "How is the book"

You would say "How are you getting on with that book I lent you?" - because again you are asking about a person and not an object - the book.

I must disagree. I say "How's the book" "How was the movie" etc., all the time. I'm clearly not asking about the feelings of the book or movie. - --Mariana--, Apr 6, 2010

But I would also say (regarding a person): How are you and your sister getting along? - Nicole-B, Apr 6, 2010

Some more: "How is your family?"; "How is your husband?"...But then again: "What is your new neighbor like?"; "What is the new teacher like?" - Nicole-B, Apr 6, 2010

The English language is "maddening"! :( - Nicole-B, Apr 6, 2010

"how was the movie?" yes but you are not asking "what was the move like" you are asking how the person felt about the movie. - ian-hill, Apr 6, 2010

Answer 2

Buenos días Nila,

I think that most people would feel more comfortable asking "How is that book?" and not "What is the book like?". Just trying to think through my mind quickly now, we tend to use the expression "How is/how was...?" quite a bit.

How is that restaurant?

How was the movie?

How was your vacation?

How was your weekend?

(I think you get the point. )

"What is the book like?", just does not sound as natural to me, although it is grammatically correct.

Thank you. I needed a fast answer. - nila45, Apr 6, 2010

Great answer...gets my vote! - --Mariana--, Apr 6, 2010

Answer 3

I agree with Nicole. This is what I'd say:

"How's the book...is it good?"

"How's the book...what is it about?

Hi Marianne - I am not sure I agree with you - in your examples you have added to the "how" part of the question to clarify what information you want. That makes it a "What is the book like" question. - ian-hill, Apr 6, 2010

So how do you say it in Spanish? - eastside, Apr 6, 2010

Answer 4

If I used something similiar to "what is the book like", I would actually say "what's the book like", personally.

Also with these ones, personally I'm lazy and switch to 's, it sounds more natural to me:

What is she like?

She is interesting

She is tall

How is she?

She is tired

What's she like?

She's interesting.

She's tall.

How is she?

She's tired.

So would everyone else Cheese - Notice that you didn't say "How's she" though. - ian-hill, Apr 7, 2010

yeah hehe, its because Id add 'doin' to the end if I said 'How's she', I wouldnt use it by itself, sounds wierd. - cheeseisyummy, Apr 7, 2010

Answer 5

¿como es el libro?

Answer 6

Perhaps, "what is the book like" could be asked when you need a more detailed explanation.

Yes - is it difficult to read - is it a long book - is it interesting etc. - ian-hill, Apr 6, 2010

Answer 7

I find that we say ---What did you think about the -that- book ? And like Ian I sometimes add , didn't you see my name and number on the fly . What is the book like? would need to be said whilst one is talking about it ,which would be fine in that context.

Answer 8

And what about this?

What is she like?

She is interesting

She is tall

How is she?

She is tired

Those are perfect. "What's she like" will give you her characteristics. "How is she" will give you her state of being today, for example, "sick" "tired" "busy" - --Mariana--, Apr 6, 2010

Thank you, Marianne - nila45, Apr 6, 2010