"How does he look like?" - correct?!

Question

When you ask about somebody's appearance, you say
1. What does he look like?
- so I thought. But someone on a forum has told me that (in the USA) people often use
2. How does he look like?
It looks like that person is staying in the USA. Also, I did a Google search (although I know it is not the ultimate grammar expert) and there were quite a lot of examples like that.
Please tell me whether 'How does he look like?' is:
- used (even if considered non-standard),
- considered correct.

Best wishes

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

I just googled it too, Demi, because I couldn't believe you'd get many hits on that phase; but there are indeed a good number. Some of them don't apply, because they are part of a different structure, e.g. 'how does he look like his father (= in what way does he resemble his father?)'. Still, most of them seem to exemplify the question phrased as 'how does he look like?'

Still, I myself would consider it a non-native or substandard formation, a confusion of 'how does he look?' and 'what does he look like?' I certainly don't think it's specifically American, unless characteristic of a particular subculture with which I am unfamiliar.

CalifJim · Answer

The possibilities are:

He looks like an important official. He looks like a soldier. That is, "he looks like what". What does he look like? is the question form.

He looks like his father. He looks like Mel Gibson. That is, "he looks like who". Who does he look like? is the question form.

He looks well. He looks sick. That is, "he looks how". How does he look? is the question form.

The construction "he looks like sick" is not good English, so neither is its question form "How does he look like?".

A person "looks like" something or someone. A person "looks" somehow (in some condition). But a person can't "look like" somehow. "like" is a preposition; it must have a noun or pronoun as its object, not an adjective or adverb.

This is a case where you should definitely ignore the Google results!

Demicjusz · Answer

So the matter is settled as far as correctness is concerned. But have you ever heard native speakers use it? In every language there are forms which are considered incorrect at first and later become standard usage. But they have to appear naturally in native speakers' speech.
Is 'How does he look like?':
1. not used by native speakers at all?
2. sometimes used by some native speakers but treated as bad English?

CalifJim · Answer

Let's say that in all my life I've never heard a native speaker say, "How does he look like?".

I realize that answers your question, but I'd like to add a little something here:

I have heard it a great deal from non-native speakers, but that is sometimes due to literal translations from their native languages.

Here's a possible example.
My Spanish isn't great, but I believe that "Como parece?" might be the Spanish for it. The Spanish speaker learns that "como" is "how" and "parece" is "resemble" or "look like". This leads to the incorrect "How does it look like?" If Spanish had "A que parece?", maybe the mistake would be less frequent, because it could be translated as "Like what he looks" which could be easily transformed to "What does he look like?"

Spanish speakers, please adjust this speculation to something more accurate, if possible!
Thanks!

Ahava_yin · Answer

Hi, I'm still a little comfused. If I want to know whether he is handsome or not, how should I ask? Thank you.

Mister Micawber · Answer

'What does he look like?', Ahava-- or better yet: 'Is he handsome?'

Ahava_yin · Answer

Thanks a lot.  <img class='emoticon' style='Width:19px;Height:19px;' data-delaysrc='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' src='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' alt='Emotion: smile'/>

Anonymous · Answer

I was wondering about the same question...
Thanks for all your answers!

CalifJim · Answer

I think the easiest way to remember it is this:

Use what with look like.
Use how with look.

Don't use what with look. Add like.
Don't use how with look like.
__________________________

What does [it / he / she] look like?
How does [it / he / she] look?

What does [it / he / she] look? Wrong. It should be look like.
How does [it / he / she] look ~~like~~?

CJ

Anonymous · Answer

A native English speaker would never say "how does he look like".  You say either "What does he look like?" or  "How does he look?"

"How does he look like?" - correct?!

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