Chinese

Adverb

怎麼 (chiefly Mandarin)

1. how

   北京怎麼去？ / 北京怎么去？  ―  Běijīng zěnme qù?  ―  How do you get to Beijing?

   「動人」用英文怎麼說？ [MSC, trad.]

   “动人”用英文怎么说？ [MSC, simp.]

   "Dòngrén" yòng yīngwén zěnme shuō? [Pinyin]

   How do you say "dongren" in English?

   這是怎麼回事呀？ / 这是怎么回事呀？  ―  Zhè shì zěnme huí shì ya?  ―  How did this happen?

   怎麼會這樣呢？ / 怎么会这样呢？  ―  Zěnme huì zhèyàng ne?  ―  How could that be?

2. how come; why

   他今天怎麼沒來上學？ [MSC, trad.]

   他今天怎么没来上学？ [MSC, simp.]

   Tā jīntiān zěnme méi lái shàngxué? [Pinyin]

   How come he didn't come to school today?

   你怎麼花了那麼長時間啊？ [MSC, trad.]

   你怎么花了那么长时间啊？ [MSC, simp.]

   Nǐ zěnme huā le nàme cháng shíjiān a? [Pinyin]

   Why did it take you so long?

3. in what way; what

   我是怎麼跟你說的？ [MSC, trad.]

   我是怎么跟你说的？ [MSC, simp.]

   Wǒ shì zěnme gēn nǐ shuō de? [Pinyin]

   What did I tell you?

   閉嘴，我怎麼說你就怎麼辦！ [MSC, trad.]

   闭嘴，我怎么说你就怎么办！ [MSC, simp.]

   Bìzuǐ, wǒ zěnme shuō nǐ jiù zěnme bàn! [Pinyin]

   Shut up and do what I say!

4. used to indicate a degree, usually of inadequacy or inferiority

   我的女兒現在三歲，還都不怎麼會寫字。 [MSC, trad.]

   我的女儿现在三岁，还都不怎么会写字。 [MSC, simp.]

   Wǒ de nǚ'ér xiànzài sān suì, hái dōu bù zěnme huì xiězì. [Pinyin]

   My daughter is just three years old and cannot write anything very well.

   我很喜歡唱歌，但是我還不怎麼會唱。 [MSC, trad.]

   我很喜欢唱歌，但是我还不怎么会唱。 [MSC, simp.]

   Wǒ hěn xǐhuān chànggē, dànshì wǒ hái bù zěnme huì chàng. [Pinyin]

   I love singing, but I'm not very good at it.

   我現在還不怎麼會打網球，但是在老師的教導下，一定能提高我的水平！ [MSC, trad.]

   我现在还不怎么会打网球，但是在老师的教导下，一定能提高我的水平！ [MSC, simp.]

   Wǒ xiànzài hái bù zěnme huì dǎ wǎngqiú, dànshì zài lǎoshī de jiàodǎo xià, yīdìng néng tígāo wǒ de shuǐpíng! [Pinyin]

   I'm not that great at tennis now, but I will definitely improve under my teacher's guidance!

Synonyms

Derived terms

See also

• 怎樣／怎样 (zěnyàng, “in what way”)
• 什麼／什么 (shénme, “what”)
• 誰／谁 (shéi, “who”)
• 什麼時候／什么时候 (shénme shíhòu, “when”)
• 哪裡／哪里 (nǎlǐ, “where”)
• 哪兒／哪儿 (nǎr, “where”)