How to do something with "zenme"

怎么 (zěnme) means "how" in Chinese, and it's not hard to use at all. Learn how to use it here!

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"?)Zěnme qù?How do you get there?
• 用 中文 怎么 说 "apple"？(Literally: "Chinese how say 'apple'"?)Yòng Zhōngwén zěnme shuō "apple"?How do you say "apple" in Chinese?
• 怎么 用 筷子 吃饭？(Literally: "how use chopsticks eat (rice)"?)Zěnme yòng kuàizi chīfàn?How do you use chopsticks to eat?
• 怎么 做 饭？(Literally: "how cook (rice)"?)Zěnme zuò fàn?How do you cook?
• 你 怎么 上班？坐 地铁 吗？Nǐ zěnme shàngbān? Zuò dìtiě ma?How do you get to work? By metro?
• 你 怎么 学 中文？Nǐ zěnme xué Zhōngwén?How do you study Chinese?
• 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 cell phone to go online?
• 怎么 学 语法？Zěnme xué yǔfǎ?How do you study grammar?
• 你 怎么 知道 我 喜欢 旅游？Nǐ zěnme zhīdào wǒ xǐhuān lǚyóu?How did you know I like to travel?
• 我们 应该 怎么 告诉 他？Wǒmen yīnggāi zěnme gàosù tā?How should we tell him?
• 怎么 跟 女孩子 说话？Zěnme gēn nǚ háizi shuōhuà?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？chāoshì zěnme zǒu?How do you get to the supermarket?
• 芒果 怎么 吃？mángguǒ zěnme chī?How do you eat mangos?
• iPad 怎么 用？iPad zěnme yòng?How do you use an iPad?
• 太极拳 怎么 打？tàijí quán zěnme dǎ?How do you do tai chi?
• "apple" 用 中文 怎么 说？"apple" yòng zhōngwén zěnme shuō?How do you say "apple" in Chinese?
• 用 手机 怎么 上网？yòng shǒujī zěnme shàngwǎng?How to use cellular internet (3G)?
• 语法 怎么 学 ？yǔfǎ zěnme xué?How do you study grammar?
• 我 喜欢 旅游， 你 怎么 知道 ？wǒ xǐhuān lǚyóu , nǐ zěnme zhīdào?How did you know I like to swim?
• 中国 菜 怎么 做？zhōngguó cài zěnme zuò?How do you cook Chinese food?
• 这么 多 苹果 怎么 吃 ？zhème duō píngguǒ zěnme chī?How do you eat so many apples?

See also

• Placement of question words
• Asking questions

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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