Expressing "not often" with "bu zenme"

You might be tempted to conclude that 不怎么 (bù zěnme) seems to mean "not how," but it actually means "not often" when used together with a verb.

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 喜欢说话。Tā bù zěnme xǐhuan shuōhuà.He doesn't like talking too much.
• 我 不怎么 吃 猪肉。Wǒ bù zěnme chī zhūròu.I don't often eat pork.
• 我 老公 不怎么 做饭。Wǒ lǎogōng bù zěnme zuò fàn.My husband doesn't cook very often.
• 我的 室友不怎么 去 逛街 。Wǒ de shìyǒu bù zěnme qù guàngjiē.My roommates don't go shopping very often.
• 我们 不怎么 看 电视 。Wǒmen bù zěnme kàn diànshì.We don't watch a lot of television.

Examples with 没 instead of 不

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

• 他 没 怎么 说话。Tā méi zěnme shuōhuà.He didn't say much.
• 我 没 怎么 见 过 他。Wǒ méi zěnme jiànguò tā.I haven't seen him much.
• 昨天 我 没 怎么 复习。Zuótiān wǒ méi zěnme fùxí.I didn't review much yesterday.

Lastly, make sure to use 不怎么 with a verb if you want it to mean "not often." Using it with an adjective gives it a different meaning.

See also

• How to do something with "zenme"
• 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