怎么

zěn me

HSK 2.0 Level 1 HSK 3.0 Level 1 Pronoun Very common

Definitions

1. how?
2. what?
3. why?

Word relationships

Related words

2 items

• 什么 shén me 什么 shén me what? Used in questions similar to 'what', but 怎么 means 'how'.: what?
• 为什么 wèi shén me 为什么 wèi shén me why? Means 'why', while 怎么 can also mean 'why' in some contexts.: why?

Synonyms

2 items

• 怎样 zěn yàng 怎样 zěn yàng how Similar in meaning to 'how', often interchangeable.: how
• 如何 rú hé 如何 rú hé how More formal way to say 'how'.: how

Usage notes

Common mistakes

Learners often confuse 怎么 (how) with 什么 (what). Remember 怎么 is about manner or reason, not things.

Formality

怎么 is informal and commonly used in spoken Mandarin, while 如何 is more formal.

Example Sentences

5 shown

你 怎么 去学校？

How do you go to school?

你 怎么 这么傻？

Why are you so foolish?

你 怎么 看待这个问题？

How do you regard this issue?

我们通常 怎么 称呼他？

How do we usually address him?

岂有此理，他 怎么 可以这样做！

How can this be so? How could he do that!

AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Words Containing 怎么

• 不怎么 不怎么 bù zěn me: not very
• 不怎么样 不怎么样 bù zěn me yàng: not up to much
• 怎么样 怎么样 zěn me yàng: how?
• 怎么办 怎么办 zěn me bàn: what's to be done
• 再怎么 再怎么 zài zěn me: no matter how ...
• 怎么了 怎么了 zěn me le: What's up?
• 怎么回事 怎么回事 zěn me huí shì: what's the matter?
• 怎么得了 怎么得了 zěn me dé liǎo: how can this be?
• 怎么搞的 怎么搞的 zěn me gǎo de: How did it happen?
• 怎么着 怎么着 zěn me zhāo: what?
• 怎么说呢 怎么说呢 zěn me shuō ne: Why is that?

Child Words of 怎么

• 怎 怎 zěn: how
• 么 么 má: exclamatory final particle
• 么 么 ma: interrogative final particle