Difference between revisions of "How to do something with "zenme""
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| − | * <em>怎么</em> 去？<span class="expl">(Literally: "how go"?)</span><span class="pinyin">< | + | * <em>怎么</em> 去？<span class="expl">(Literally: "how go"?)</span><span class="pinyin"><em>zěnme</em> qù?</span><span class="trans">How do you get there?</span> |
| − | * 用 中文 <em>怎么</em> 说 "apple"？<span class="expl">(Literally: "Chinese how say 'apple'"?)</span><span class="pinyin">Yòng zhōngwén <em>zěnme </em> shuō"apple"?</span><span class="trans">How do you say "apple" in Chinese?</span> | + | * 用 中文 <em>怎么</em> 说 "apple"？<span class="expl">(Literally: "Chinese how say 'apple'"?)</span><span class="pinyin">Yòng zhōngwén <em>zěnme</em> shuō "apple"?</span><span class="trans">How do you say "apple" in Chinese?</span> |
| − | * <em>怎么</em> 用 筷子 吃饭？<span class="expl">(Literally: "how use chopsticks eat (rice)"?)</span><span class="pinyin">< | + | * <em>怎么</em> 用 筷子 吃饭？<span class="expl">(Literally: "how use chopsticks eat (rice)"?)</span><span class="pinyin"><em>Zěnme</em> yòng kuàizi chīfàn?</span><span class="trans">How do you use chopsticks to eat?</span> |
| − | * <em>怎么</em> 做 饭？<span class="expl">(Literally: "how cook (rice)"?)</span><span class="pinyin">< | + | * <em>怎么</em> 做 饭？<span class="expl">(Literally: "how cook (rice)"?)</span><span class="pinyin"><em>zěnme</em> zuò fàn?</span><span class="trans">How do you cook?</span> |
| − | * 你 <em>怎么</em> 上班？坐 地铁 吗？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>zěnme </em> shàngbān? Zuò dìtiě ma?</span><span class="trans">How do you get to work? By metro?</span> | + | * 你 <em>怎么</em> 上班？坐 地铁 吗？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>zěnme</em> shàngbān? Zuò dìtiě ma?</span><span class="trans">How do you get to work? By metro?</span> |
| − | * 你 <em>怎么</em> 学 中文？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>zěnme </em> xué | + | * 你 <em>怎么</em> 学 中文？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>zěnme </em> xué Zhōngwén?</span><span class="trans">How do you study Chinese?</span> |
| − | * 你 知道 <em>怎么</em> 用 手机 上网 吗？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ zhīdào <em>zěnme </em> yòng shǒujī shàngwǎng ma?</span><span class="trans">Do you know how to use | + | * 你 知道 <em>怎么</em> 用 手机 上网 吗？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ zhīdào <em>zěnme</em> yòng shǒujī shàngwǎng ma?</span><span class="trans">Do you know how to use a cell phone to go online?</span> |
| − | * <em>怎么</em> 学 语法？<span class="pinyin">< | + | * <em>怎么</em> 学 语法？<span class="pinyin"><em>Zěnme</em> xué yǔfǎ?</span><span class="trans">How do you study grammar?</span> |
| − | * 你 <em>怎么</em> 知道 我 喜欢 旅游？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>zěnme </em> zhīdào wǒ xǐhuān lǚyóu?</span><span class="trans">How | + | * 你 <em>怎么</em> 知道 我 喜欢 旅游？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>zěnme</em> zhīdào wǒ xǐhuān lǚyóu?</span><span class="trans">How did you know I like to travel?</span> |
| − | * 我们 应该 <em>怎么</em> 告诉 他？<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen yīnggāi <em>zěnme </em> gàosù tā?</span><span class="trans">How should we tell him?</span> | + | * 我们 应该 <em>怎么</em> 告诉 他？<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen yīnggāi <em>zěnme</em> gàosù tā?</span><span class="trans">How should we tell him?</span> |
| − | * <em>怎么</em> 跟 女孩子 说话？<span class="pinyin">< | + | * <em>怎么</em> 跟 女孩子 说话？<span class="pinyin"><em>Zěnme</em> gēn nǚ háizi shuōhuà?</span><span class="trans">How do you talk to girls?</span> |
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Revision as of 01:28, 9 October 2014
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Keywords
怎么 (zěnme) means "how" in Chinese, and it's not hard to use at all. Learn how to use it here!
Contents
The Basic "How to Verb" Something
Structure
The question word 怎么 (zěnme) is used to ask how in Chinese. It is inserted in front of the verb that's being asked about:
Subject + 怎么 + Verb + Object
Note that the subject can often be omitted from general "how to" questions, and there doesn't always have to be an object.
Examples
- 怎么 去？(Literally: "how go"?)How do you get there?
- 用 中文 怎么 说 "apple"？(Literally: "Chinese how say 'apple'"?)How do you say "apple" in Chinese?
- 怎么 用 筷子 吃饭？(Literally: "how use chopsticks eat (rice)"?)How do you use chopsticks to eat?
- 怎么 做 饭？(Literally: "how cook (rice)"?)How do you cook?
- 你 怎么 上班？坐 地铁 吗？How do you get to work? By metro?
- 你 怎么 学 中文？How do you study Chinese?
- 你 知道 怎么 用 手机 上网 吗？Do you know how to use a cell phone to go online?
- 怎么 学 语法？How do you study grammar?
- 你 怎么 知道 我 喜欢 旅游？How did you know I like to travel?
- 我们 应该 怎么 告诉 他？How should we tell him?
- 怎么 跟 女孩子 说话？How do you talk to girls?
Topic First
Starting a "how to" question with the topic at the beginning of the question is very common. That is, the thing being asked about is introduced first, then a question is asked about how to do something involving it.
Structure
Topic + 怎么 + Verb
The object doesn't have to come after the verb. Sometimes it moves to the front of the question, establishing what the question is going to be about, before getting specific with the "how" question.
Examples
- 超市 怎么 走？How do you get to the supermarket?
- 芒果 怎么 吃？How do you eat mangos?
- iPad 怎么 用？How do you use an iPad?
- 太极拳 怎么 打？How do you do tai chi?
- "apple" 用 中文 怎么 说？How do you say "apple" in Chinese?
- 用 手机 怎么 上网？How to use cellular internet (3G)?
- 语法 怎么 学 ？How do you study grammar?
- 我 喜欢 旅游， 你 怎么 知道 ？How did you know I like to swim?
- 中国 菜 怎么 做？How do you cook Chinese food?
- 这么 多 苹果 怎么 吃 ？How do you eat so many apples?
See also
Sources and further reading
- Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (p. 191) →buy
- 现代汉语八百词（增订本） (pp. 651-2) →buy
- Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (p. 163) →buy
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