Difference between revisions of "How to do something with "zenme""

Line 21: Line 21:
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
* <em>怎么</em> 去?<span class="expl">(Literally: "how go"?)</span><span class="pinyin"><Em>zěnme </em> qù?</span><span class="trans">How do you get there?</span>
+
* <em>怎么</em> 去?<span class="expl">(Literally: "how go"?)</span><span class="pinyin"><em>zěnme</em> qù?</span><span class="trans">How do you get there?</span>
* 用 中文 <em>怎么</em> 说 "apple"?<span class="expl">(Literally: "Chinese how say 'apple'"?)</span><span class="pinyin">Yòng zhōngwén <em>zěnme </em> shuō"apple"?</span><span class="trans">How do you say "apple" in Chinese?</span>
+
* 用 中文 <em>怎么</em> 说 "apple"?<span class="expl">(Literally: "Chinese how say 'apple'"?)</span><span class="pinyin">Yòng zhōngwén <em>zěnme</em> shuō "apple"?</span><span class="trans">How do you say "apple" in Chinese?</span>
* <em>怎么</em> 用 筷子 吃饭?<span class="expl">(Literally: "how use chopsticks eat (rice)"?)</span><span class="pinyin"><Em>zěnme </em> yòng kuàizi chīfàn?</span><span class="trans">How do you use chopsticks to eat?</span>
+
* <em>怎么</em> 用 筷子 吃饭?<span class="expl">(Literally: "how use chopsticks eat (rice)"?)</span><span class="pinyin"><em>Zěnme</em> yòng kuàizi chīfàn?</span><span class="trans">How do you use chopsticks to eat?</span>
* <em>怎么</em>  做 饭?<span class="expl">(Literally: "how cook (rice)"?)</span><span class="pinyin"><Em>zěnme </em> zuò fàn?</span><span class="trans">How do you cook?</span>
+
* <em>怎么</em>  做 饭?<span class="expl">(Literally: "how cook (rice)"?)</span><span class="pinyin"><em>zěnme</em> zuò fàn?</span><span class="trans">How do you cook?</span>
* 你 <em>怎么</em> 上班?坐 地铁 吗?<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>zěnme </em> shàngbān? Zuò dìtiě ma?</span><span class="trans">How do you get to work? By metro?</span>
+
* 你 <em>怎么</em> 上班?坐 地铁 吗?<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>zěnme</em> shàngbān? Zuò dìtiě ma?</span><span class="trans">How do you get to work? By metro?</span>
* 你 <em>怎么</em> 学 中文?<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>zěnme </em> xué zhōngwén?</span><span class="trans">How do you study Chinese?</span>
+
* 你 <em>怎么</em> 学 中文?<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>zěnme </em> xué Zhōngwén?</span><span class="trans">How do you study Chinese?</span>
* 你 知道 <em>怎么</em> 用 手机 上网 吗?<span class="pinyin">Nǐ zhīdào <em>zěnme </em> yòng shǒujī shàngwǎng ma?</span><span class="trans">Do you know how to use the cellular internet (3G)?</span>
+
* 你 知道 <em>怎么</em> 用 手机 上网 吗?<span class="pinyin">Nǐ zhīdào <em>zěnme</em> yòng shǒujī shàngwǎng ma?</span><span class="trans">Do you know how to use a cell phone to go online?</span>
* <em>怎么</em> 学 语法?<span class="pinyin"><Em>zěnme </em> xué yǔfǎ?</span><span class="trans">How do you study grammar?</span>
+
* <em>怎么</em> 学 语法?<span class="pinyin"><em>Zěnme</em> xué yǔfǎ?</span><span class="trans">How do you study grammar?</span>
* 你 <em>怎么</em> 知道 我 喜欢 旅游?<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>zěnme </em> zhīdào wǒ xǐhuān lǚyóu?</span><span class="trans">How do you know I like to travel?</span>
+
* 你 <em>怎么</em> 知道 我 喜欢 旅游?<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>zěnme</em> zhīdào wǒ xǐhuān lǚyóu?</span><span class="trans">How did you know I like to travel?</span>
* 我们 应该 <em>怎么</em> 告诉 他?<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen yīnggāi <em>zěnme </em> gàosù tā?</span><span class="trans">How should we tell him?</span>
+
* 我们 应该 <em>怎么</em> 告诉 他?<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen yīnggāi <em>zěnme</em> gàosù tā?</span><span class="trans">How should we tell him?</span>
* <em>怎么</em> 跟 女孩子 说话?<span class="pinyin"><Em>zěnme </em> gēn nǚ háizi shuōhuà?</span><span class="trans">How do you talk to girls?</span>
+
* <em>怎么</em> 跟 女孩子 说话?<span class="pinyin"><em>Zěnme</em> gēn nǚ háizi shuōhuà?</span><span class="trans">How do you talk to girls?</span>
  
 
</div>
 
</div>

Revision as of 01:28, 9 October 2014

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?
  • 怎么 上班?坐 地铁 吗?zěnme shàngbān? Zuò dìtiě ma?How do you get to work? By metro?
  • 怎么 学 中文?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?
  • 怎么 知道 我 喜欢 旅游?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

Sources and further reading


182-184