Chinese word

怎么

Pronunciation

Pinyinzěn me

Meaning

  • adverbhow

Example

你怎么去公司？nǐ zěn me qù gōng sī

How do you get to the office?

Illustration for 怎么 (how)

More examples

从这里怎么走？cóng zhè lǐ zěn me zǒu

How do you get there from here?

Core concept

A question word that points to the way an action happens, or to the circumstances behind a surprising situation.

Common phrases

  • 怎么走？zěn me zǒu

    how to get there

  • 这个怎么说？zhè ge zěn me shuō

    how to say this

  • 晚饭怎么做？wǎn fàn zěn me zuò

    how to make dinner

Similar words

为什么wèi shén me: Asks why something happens or is true.
怎么样zěn me yàng: Asks about a person or thing's condition or quality.

Definition in Chinese

怎么 用于询问做事的办法或方式，常位于动词前构成疑问；在特定短语中亦可表示情况或惊讶。zěn me yòng yú xún wèn zuò shì de bàn fǎ huò fāng shì cháng wèi yú dòng cí qián gòu chéng yí wèn zài tè dìng duán yǔ zhōng yì kě biǎo shì qíng kuàng huò jīng yà

Word origin

怎么 (zěnme, "how") is built from the question element 怎 (zěn, "how") + the particle 么 (me, "grammatical particle"), linking the word to questions about method and situation.

Usage tips

  • This word normally comes before the action word, and its meaning becomes clearer from whether the sentence asks about a method or reacts to something puzzling.

Other meanings

  • whyadverb

Word lists with this word