In Chinese, “how” can be 怎麼樣怎么样zěnmeyàng or just 怎麼怎么zěnme, depending on the situation. To ask “how long”, use 多久 duōjiǔ.
Quick difference怎麼怎么zěnme goes before a verb and asks about the way to do something. 怎麼樣怎么样zěnmeyàng goes at the end and asks “how is it?” or “what do you think of it?”.
一怎麼怎么zěnme: “how” and “how come”
Subject + 怎麼怎么 + Verb (+ Object)?
怎麼怎么zěnme goes right before the verb and asks about the way something is done: “How do you …?”. But if a negative word like 沒没méi or 不 bù comes right after it, the question means “how come …?” or “why …?”.
Q：你的名字怎麼怎么寫写？ A：我的名字這樣这样寫写
Q: How do you write your name? A: My name is written like this.
Q：他怎麼怎么沒没來来上班？ A：他生病了
Q: How come he did not come to work? A: He’s sick.
你是怎麼怎么學学英文的？
How did you learn English?
她怎麼怎么找到上海的工作？
How did she find a job in Shanghai?
你怎麼怎么沒没買买咖啡給给我！
How come you didn’t buy coffee for me?
老師老师怎麼怎么沒没穿鞋子
Why isn’t the teacher wearing shoes?
FYI: cramming education
Do you know 填鴨式教育填鸭式教育tiányā shì jiàoyù (cramming education)? It is a common way of learning in Asia. That is why many of us can write a foreign language but struggle to speak it. Cramming means students must memorize and repeat a huge amount of information, with less focus on using it or really understanding it. It’s like the fast food of learning: you stuff your brain with facts without digesting them. So next time, if you can’t have a conversation with a Chinese person, try writing it down. It may work. 😏
二怎麼樣怎么样zěnmeyàng: “how is it?”
Statement + 怎麼樣怎么样?
Say the thing you are asking about, then put 怎麼樣怎么样zěnmeyàng at the end. It asks “How is it?” or “What do you think of it?”. You can answer with an opinion, like 很好 hěn hǎo (very good).
Q：你的中文課课怎麼樣怎么样？ A：我的中文課课很好
Q: How was your Chinese lesson? A: My Chinese lesson is great.
今天天氣天气怎麼樣怎么样？
How’s the weather today?
你的感冒怎麼樣怎么样了？
How’s your cold?
The 了 le at the end asks how things are now, after something has changed.
你覺得觉得那邊那边那個那个男人怎麼樣怎么样？
What do you think of that man over there?
昨天的電影电影看得怎麼樣怎么样？
How was the movie yesterday?
Verb + 得 de + 怎麼樣怎么样zěnmeyàng asks how well the action went.
三 Practice
Tap the words below in the right order to build the sentence, then check your answer. If it’s wrong, you can try again as many times as you like, or hit “Show answer” if you get stuck. Careful: some tiles are traps and are not needed!
Question 1 of 10
“Why didn’t he come to class?”
Tap words below to build the sentence
❌ Try Again
他怎麼怎么沒没來来上課上课
怎麼怎么zěnme + 沒没méi + verb means “how come … didn’t …?”. The 怎麼樣怎么样zěnmeyàng tile is a trap. It goes at the end of a sentence, not before a verb.
“How do I get to the airport from here?”
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我要怎麼怎么從从這裡这里去機場机场？
怎麼怎么zěnme goes before the whole action, and 從這裡从这里cóng zhèlǐ (from here) is part of that action. Use 怎麼怎么zěnme to ask about the way to do something.
“What do you think of my Chinese?”
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你覺得觉得我的中文怎麼樣怎么样？
怎麼樣怎么样zěnmeyàng goes at the end and asks “what do you think?”. 怎麼怎么zěnme on its own can’t do this job.
“How do you say this word in Chinese?”
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這個这个詞词用中文怎麼怎么說说？
怎麼怎么zěnme + 說说shuō asks how to say something. 用中文 yòng zhōngwén (in Chinese) comes before 怎麼怎么zěnme.
“How was your weekend?”
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你的週末周末過过得怎麼樣怎么样？
To ask how something went, use verb + 得 de + 怎麼樣怎么样zěnmeyàng. Here it is 過得怎麼樣过得怎么样guò de zěnmeyàng.
“How come you didn’t call me?”
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你怎麼怎么沒没打電話电话給给我
沒没méi right after 怎麼怎么zěnme makes the question mean “how come you didn’t …?”.
“How did you learn to cook?”
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你是怎麼怎么學會学会做飯做饭的？
This asks about the way something was done in the past. 是 shì goes before 怎麼怎么zěnme and 的 de goes at the end.
“Excuse me, how do you write this character?”
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請問请问這個这个字怎麼怎么寫写？
請問请问qǐngwèn (excuse me) is a polite way to start a question. Then 怎麼怎么zěnme + 寫写xiě asks how to write it.
“How come she isn’t eating?”
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她怎麼怎么不吃飯吃饭？
怎麼怎么zěnme + 不 bù also means “how come …?” or “why …?”. It works like 怎麼怎么zěnme + 沒没méi.
“How is the food at that restaurant?”
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那家餐廳餐馆的菜怎麼樣怎么样？
First say the thing you are asking about, then finish with 怎麼樣怎么样zěnmeyàng: “How is it?”.
