How to do something with "zenme"

Revision as of 06:24, 28 January 2013 by Guomubai (talk | contribs)

A primer on how to use 怎么.

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.

examples

  • 怎么 去?How do you get there?
  • 中文 怎么 说 "apple"?How do you say "apple" in Chinese?
  • 怎么 用 筷子 吃饭?How do you use chopstick to eat?
  • 怎么 做饭?How do you cook?

Topic first

Starting a "how to" question with the topic 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:

Topic + 怎么 + Verb

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

182-184