Language/Mandarin-chinese/Grammar/Ask-how-to-do-something-with-怎么-(zěnme)

Using 怎麽/怎么 (zěnme) to Ask "How" in Mandarin Chinese

怎麽 (Traditional) / 怎么 (Simplified) (zěnme) serves as an interrogative word to ask "how" in Mandarin Chinese. This question word is versatile and can be used in a variety of contexts. Despite its versatility, it remains relatively straightforward to use.

Structure

The basic grammatical structure for utilizing 怎麽/怎么 in a question is:

Subject + 怎麽/怎么 + Verb + Complement

In this structure:

• Subject: Generally indicates the doer of the action.
• Verb: Specifies the action under inquiry.
• Complement: Provides additional context for the verb.

It's worth noting that the subject can often be omitted in questions, and a complement is not always necessary.

Examples

Basic Examples

• 怎麽 去？/怎么 去？ (Literally: "How to go?")

Zěnme qù?

How to get there?

• 用 中文 怎麽 說 ”apple”？/用 中文 怎么 说 ”apple”？

Yòng Zhōngwén zěnme shuō "apple"?

How do you say "apple" in Chinese?

Everyday Life

• 怎麽 用 筷子 吃飯？/怎么 用 筷子 吃饭？

Zěnme yòng kuàizi chīfàn?

How do you use chopsticks to eat?

• 怎麽 做 飯？/怎么 做 饭？

Zěnme zuò fàn?

How do you cook?

Commuting and Work

• 你 怎麽 上班？ 坐 地鐵 嗎？/你 怎么 上班？ 坐 地铁 吗？

Nǐ zěnme shàngbān? Zuò dìtiě ma?

How do you go to work? By Metro?

Education and Technology

• 你 怎麽 學 中文？/你 怎么 学 中文？

Nǐ zěnme xué Zhōngwén?

How do you study Chinese?

• 你 知道 怎麽 用 手機 上網 嗎？/你 知道 怎么 用 手机 上网 吗？

Nǐ zhīdào zěnme yòng shǒujī shàngwǎng ma?

Do you know how to use a smartphone to access the Internet?

Sources

• Chine.in Grammaire