How to do something with "zenme"
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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 "how" here!
Contents
The Basic "How to Verb" Something
Structure
The question word 怎么 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?
- 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 chopstick to eat?
- 怎么 做饭？(Literally: "how cook (rice)"?)How do you cook?
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 mangoes?
- iPad 怎么 用？How do you use an iPad?
- 太极拳 怎么 打？How do you do tai-chi?
See also
Sources and further reading
Books
- Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 191) →buy
- 现代汉语八百词（增订本） (pp. 651-2) →buy
182－184
