Meaning
how
Chinese: 怎样、如何。
Hear the Four Tones
The same syllable “zen” becomes a different word in each tone. 怎 is the 3rd tone. Tap any tone to hear a native voice and see its pitch shape.
Stroke Order
Tap Animate to watch the strokes in order, or Practice to trace it yourself.
Common Words
- 怎么zěn mehow?; what?; why?
- 怎么样zěn me yànghow?; how about?; how was it?; how are things?
- 怎样zěn yànghow; what kind
- 怎么办zěn me bànwhat's to be done
- 不怎么bù zěn menot very; not particularly
Example Sentence
你怎么还不睡觉？Nǐ zěn me hái bú shuì jiào?Why are you not asleep yet?
你Nǐyou怎么zěn mehow还háistill不búnot睡觉shuì jiàoto go to bed？
Go deeper
Where this character comes from
乍 (sound) over 心 (heart): an interrogative formed in later Chinese — ‘how, why, in what way’ (怎么, 怎样, 怎么办).
A way to remember it
Always asking ‘how’: 怎么 (how), 怎样 (in what way).