Difference between revisions of "Asking why with "zenme""

Latest revision as of 08:53, 21 April 2021

Level

A2 / HSK2
Level

A2
Level

HSK2
Similar to
Similar to
- Expressing "not often" with "bu zenme" (HSK0)
- Asking how something is with "zenmeyang" (HSK1)
- How to do something with "zenme" (HSK1)
Used for

Asking questions, Exclaiming, Expressing attitude
Keywords

怎么, 这么, 那么

Aside from just meaning "how," 怎么 (zěnme) can also be used to ask "why" or "how come."

Basic Usage

With a Verb

Structure

Similar to the question word 为什么 (wèishénme), questions can also be asked with 怎么 (zěnme).

Subj. + 怎么 + Verb + Obj. ?

This has similar connotations to saying "how come" in English. It not only asks why, but expresses some surprise at the situation, and in some cases even disagreement with it.

Examples

他怎么还没来？Tā zěnme hái méi lái? How come he's not here yet?
你们怎么打人？Nǐmen zěnme dǎ rén? How can you hit people?
他帮了你，你怎么不说 “谢谢” ？Tā bāng le nǐ, nǐ zěnme bù shuō "xièxie"? He helped you. How come you didn't say thank you?
你结婚的时候怎么不告诉我？Nǐ jiéhūn de shíhou zěnme bù gàosu wǒ? How come you didn't tell me when you got married?
我们还没开始吃，他怎么已经吃完了？Wǒmen hái méi kāishǐ chī, tā zěnme yǐjīng chī wán le? We haven't started eating yet. How come he has already finished eating?
今天是星期一，你怎么不去上班？Jīntiān shì Xīngqīyī, nǐ zěnme bù qù shàngbān? Today is Monday. Why aren't you going to work?

With an Adjective

Structure

In this case, it's most common to negate the adjective after 怎么 (zěnme).

Subj. + 怎么 (+ 不) + Adj.

Examples

水怎么不热？Shuǐ zěnme bù rè? Why is the water not hot?
这里的川菜怎么不辣？Zhèlǐ de chuāncài zěnme bù là? Why is the Sichuan food here not spicy?
他亲了你，你怎么不高兴？Tā qīn le nǐ, nǐ zěnme bù gāoxìng? He kissed you. How come you're not happy?
她的小猫死了，她怎么不难过？Tā de xiǎomāo sǐ le, tā zěnme bù nánguò? Her kitten died. Why isn't she sad?
每天工作十二个小时，你怎么不累？Měi tiān gōngzuò shí'èr gè xiǎoshí, nǐ zěnme bù lèi?Every day you work 12 hours. Why are you not tired?

"Why So..." Usage

Structure

One pattern this use of 怎么 (zěnme) frequently appears in is with 这么 (zhème) or 那么 (nàme). (For more on 这么 (zhème) and 那么 (nàme), see adjectives with "name" and "zheme.")

Subj. + 怎么 + 这么 / 那么 + Adj.

This use of 怎么 (zěnme) could be translated as either "how" or "why"; the actual meaning sort of falls in the fuzzy region between the two. In any case, it's used to express disbelief: how can (something) be so (adjective)?!

Examples

他怎么那么懒？Tā zěnme nàme lǎn? How can he be this lazy?
昨天怎么那么冷？Zuótiān zěnme nàme lěng? How could it be so cold yesterday?
这些人怎么这么吵？Zhèxiē rén zěnme zhème chǎo? How can these people so loud?
北京的空气怎么那么差？Běijīng de kōngqì zěnme nàme chà? How can the air in Beijing be so bad?
你的汉语怎么这么好？Nǐ de Hànyǔ zěnme zhème hǎo? How is your Mandarin so good?

Sources and further reading

Books

[[Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed)|191}}
HSK Standard Course 2 (pp. 44) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
HSK Standard Course 5上 (pp. 6) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Grammar Box}}
-== Basic Structure ==
-As well as with the question word 为什么, questions can also be asked with 怎么.
+Aside from [[How to do something with "zenme"|just meaning "how,"]] 怎么 (zěnme) can also be used to ask "why" or "how come."
+== Basic Usage ==
+=== With a Verb ===
+==== Structure ====
+Similar to the question word [[为什么]] (wèishénme), questions can also be asked with 怎么 (zěnme).
 <div class="jiegou">
-Subject + 怎么 + Verb + Object
+Subj. + 怎么 + Verb + Obj. ?
 </div>
@@ Line 12: / Line 19: @@
 This has similar connotations to saying "how come" in English. It not only asks why, but expresses some surprise at the situation, and in some cases even disagreement with it.
-== Examples ==
+==== Examples ====
 <div class="liju">
-* 你 <em>怎么</em> 没 来？
+* 他 <em>怎么</em> 还 没 来 ？<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>zěnme</em> hái méi lái? </span><span class="trans">How come he's not here yet?</span>
-* 你的 汉语 <em>怎么</em> 没有 进步 ？
+* 你们 <em>怎么</em> 打 人？<span class="pinyin">Nǐmen <em>zěnme</em> dǎ rén? </span><span class="trans">How can you hit people? </span>
-* 他 <em>怎么</em> 走 了？
+* 他 帮 了 你，你 <em>怎么</em> 不 说 “谢谢” ？<span class="pinyin">Tā bāng le nǐ, nǐ <em>zěnme</em> bù shuō "xièxie"? </span><span class="trans">He helped you. How come you didn't say thank you? </span>
+* 你 结婚 的时候 <em>怎么</em> 不 告诉 我？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ jiéhūn de shíhou <em>zěnme</em> bù gàosu wǒ? </span><span class="trans">How come you didn't tell me when you got married? </span>
+* 我们 还 没 开始 吃，他 <em>怎么</em> 已经 吃完 了？<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen hái méi kāishǐ chī, tā <em>zěnme</em> yǐjīng chī wán le? </span><span class="trans">We haven't started eating yet. How come he has already finished eating? </span>
+* 今天 是 星期一，你 <em>怎么</em> 不 去 上班？<span class="pinyin">Jīntiān shì Xīngqīyī, nǐ <em>zěnme</em> bù qù shàngbān? </span><span class="trans">Today is Monday. Why aren't you going to work? </span>
 </div>
-== "Why so..." Structure ==
+=== With an Adjective ===
-One pattern this use of 怎么 frequently appears in is with 这么 or 那么.  (Choice of 这么 or 那么 can be somewhat arbitrary, although in theory 这么 should be used when the subject being commented upon is closer to the speaker, and 那么 when it's far away.)
+==== Structure ====
+In this case,  it's most common to negate the adjective after 怎么 (zěnme).
 <div class="jiegou">
-Subject + 怎么 + 这么/那么 + Adj
+Subj. + 怎么 (+ 不) + Adj.
 </div>
-This use of 怎么 could be translated as either "how" or "why"; the actual meaning sort of falls in the fuzzy region between the two.  In any case, it's used to express disbelief: ''how can (something) be so (adjective)?!''
+==== Examples ====
-== "Why so..." Examples ==
+<div class="liju">
+* 水 <em>怎么</em> 不 热？<span class="pinyin">Shuǐ <em>zěnme</em> bù rè? </span><span class="trans">Why is the water not hot? </span>
+* 这里 的 川菜 <em>怎么</em> 不 辣？<span class="pinyin">Zhèlǐ de chuāncài <em>zěnme</em> bù là? </span><span class="trans">Why is the Sichuan food here not spicy? </span>
+* 他 亲 了 你，你 <em>怎么</em> 不 高兴 ？<span class="pinyin">Tā qīn le nǐ, nǐ <em>zěnme</em> bù gāoxìng? </span><span class="trans">He kissed you. How come you're not happy? </span>
+* 她 的 小猫 死 了，她 <em>怎么</em> 不 难过？<span class="pinyin">Tā de xiǎomāo sǐ le, tā <em>zěnme</em> bù nánguò? </span><span class="trans">Her kitten died. Why isn't she sad? </span>
+* 每 天 工作 十二 个 小时 ，你 <em>怎么</em> 不 累？<span class="pinyin">Měi tiān gōngzuò shí'èr gè xiǎoshí, nǐ <em>zěnme</em> bù lèi?</span><span class="trans">Every day you work 12 hours. Why are you not tired? </span>
+</div>
+== "Why So..." Usage ==
+=== Structure ===
+One pattern this use of 怎么 (zěnme) frequently appears in is with 这么 (zhème) or 那么 (nàme). (For more on 这么 (zhème) and 那么 (nàme), see [[adjectives with "name" and "zheme"|adjectives with "name" and "zheme."]])
+<div class="jiegou">
+Subj. + 怎么 + 这么 / 那么 + Adj.
+</div>
+This use of 怎么 (zěnme) could be translated as either "how" or "why"; the actual meaning sort of falls in the fuzzy region between the two.  In any case, it's used to express disbelief: ''how can (something) be so (adjective)?!''
+=== Examples ===
 <div class="liju">
-* 你 <em>怎么</em> 这么 高 ？
+* 他 <em>怎么</em> 那么 懒？<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>zěnme</em> nàme lǎn? </span><span class="trans">How can he be this lazy? </span>
-* 你的 汉语 <em>怎么</em> 那么 好？
+* 昨天 <em>怎么</em> 那么 冷？<span class="pinyin">Zuótiān <em>zěnme</em> nàme lěng? </span><span class="trans">How could it be so cold yesterday? </span>
-* 他 <em>怎么</em> 这么 懒 ？
+* 这些人 <em>怎么</em> 这么 吵？<span class="pinyin">Zhèxiē rén <em>zěnme</em> zhème chǎo? </span><span class="trans">How can these people so loud? </span>
+* 北京 的 空气 <em>怎么</em> 那么 差？<span class="pinyin">Běijīng de kōngqì <em>zěnme</em> nàme  chà? </span><span class="trans">How can the air in Beijing be so bad? </span>
+* 你的 汉语 <em>怎么</em> 这么 好？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ de Hànyǔ <em>zěnme</em> zhème hǎo? </span><span class="trans">How is your Mandarin so good? </span>
 </div>
 ==See also==
 *[[Placement of question words]]
@@ Line 51: / Line 90: @@
 === Books ===
-* [[Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed)]] (pp. 191) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276385/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0887276385 →buy]
+* [[Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed)|191}}
+{{Source|HSK Standard Course 2|44}}
+{{Source|HSK Standard Course 5上|6}}
 [[Category:A2 grammar points]]
-{{Basic Grammar|怎么|A2|怎么……？|你 <em>怎么</em> 没 来？|grammar point|ASGD7NS3}}
+{{HSK|HSK2}}{{2021-HSK|HSK2}}
+{{Basic Grammar|怎么|A2|怎么⋯⋯？|你 <em>怎么</em> 没 来？|grammar point|ASGD7NS3}}
+{{Rel char|这么}}
+{{Rel char|那么}}
+{{Similar|How to do something with "zenme"}}
 {{Similar|Placement of question words}}
 {{Similar|"Not often" with "bu zenme"}}
+{{Similar|"Not very" with "bu zenme"}}
 {{Used for|Asking questions}}
+{{Used for|Expressing attitude}}
+{{Used for|Exclaiming}}
+{{Translation|why}}
 {{Structure|Question Forms}}

Difference between revisions of "Asking why with "zenme""

Latest revision as of 08:53, 21 April 2021

Contents

Basic Usage

With a Verb

Structure

Examples

With an Adjective

Structure

Examples

"Why So..." Usage

Structure

Examples

See also

Sources and further reading

Books