如何
rúhé · HSK 3
how
如 (like/as) + 何 (what) = 'like what' → how
如 means 'like/as' and 何 means 'what', so 如何 literally reads as 'like what' — a formal way to ask 'how' or 'in what manner'. More literary than 怎么样.
如 — woman radical 女 + mouth 口
Originally a phono-semantic compound where 女 (woman) suggested compliance and 口 (mouth) indicated speaking or following orders. The early sense was 'to follow' or 'to comply with what is said,' which extended to 'to be like' or 'as if.' Modern uses like 'if' and 'such as' grew from this comparative meaning.