Expressing "not often" with "bu zenme"

不怎么 seems to mean "not how", but it actually can mean "not often" or "not every much" when used together with a verb or an adjective.

不怎么 with a verb

When 不怎么 is used with a verb, it means that one does not put a lot of time or energy into doing it. In other words, the action is done "not often." When the verb is used with an object, it also means that the number (or quantity) is really small.

Subject + 不怎么 + Verb

Examples

• 他 不怎么 说话。
• 我 不怎么 吃 猪肉。
• 我 老公 不怎么 做饭。
• 中国 大学生 不怎么 学习。
• 最近 我们 没怎么 看 电视 。

Note that the last example uses 没 instead of 不. This is because the verb uses or implies 有 it uses the same the 有 negation rules.

不怎么 with an adjective

When used together with an adjective, 不怎么 becomes similar to 不太, which means that the degree of the adjective is not very high.

Subject + 不怎么 + Adjective

Examples

• 他 不怎么 帅。
• 我 不怎么 高，我 很 矮。
• 他们 不怎么 爱国。

See also

• How to do something
• Asking why with "zenme"
• "Not very" with "bu zenme"

Sources and further reading

Books

• Short-term Spoken Chinese: Elementary (汉语口语速成基础篇) (pp. 139) →buy
• 现代汉语八百词 （p.652) →buy