How to Ask “How?” with 怎么 (zěnme)
怎么 (zěnme) means “how” — and it goes right before the verb (你怎么去？), never at the front like English. Often the topic comes first: 芒果怎么吃？
Why this trips learners up
怎么 (zěnme) is the Chinese word for “how”, and the structure is genuinely easy: put it directly in front of the verb you're asking about. 你怎么去？= “How do you get there?”. The catch is that English trains you to fling “how” to the very front of the question — and in Chinese, you don't.
Like every Chinese question word, 怎么 stays put: Subject + 怎么 + Verb. Very often the thing you're asking about comes first as a topic — 芒果怎么吃？(“How do you eat a mango?”), 地铁站怎么走？(“How do I get to the subway?”). And expect one bonus meaning: with a hint of surprise, 怎么 also asks “how come?” — 你怎么还没睡？(“How come you're still up?”).
The structure
Colour key
Each colour marks one grammatical role — and the same colour means the same role on every page in the Lab.
Examples in context
Real-world sentences, easiest first. Toggle pinyin or the translation, tap any word to see its role, or play the audio.
Tap a word to see its grammatical role.
zhège zì 这个字 Subject zěnme 怎么 Pattern dú 读 Verb
How do you read this character?
zhōumò 周末 Time nǐ 你 Subject zěnme 怎么 Pattern guò 过 Verb
How do you spend your weekends?
zhège yóuxì 这个游戏 Subject zěnme 怎么 Pattern wán 玩 Verb
How do you play this game?
wǒ 我 Subject bù 不 Negation zhīdào 知道 Verb zěnme 怎么 Pattern bàn 办 Verb
I don't know what to do.
nǐ 你 Subject zěnme 怎么 Pattern hái 还 Adverb méi 没 Negation shuì 睡 Verb
How come you're not asleep yet?
dìtiězhàn 地铁站 Place zěnme 怎么 Pattern zǒu 走 Verb
How do I get to the subway station?
Common mistakes
Why it happens: English yanks “how” to the front; Chinese leaves 怎么 right before the verb. “How do you get to school?” is 你怎么去学校？, not 怎么你去学校？. Keep 怎么 next to the verb it's asking about.
Why it happens: 怎么 needs a verb after it. To ask “how is this dish?” (an opinion, no verb), use 怎么样: 这个菜怎么样？. Bare 怎么 with nothing after it is incomplete.
Why it happens: 怎么 asks “in what way / how” — the method. It isn't “how much/many”. For a price or a count, use 多少: 这个多少钱？(“how much is this?”), never 这个怎么钱？.
Compare & contrast
| 怎么 + verb — “how (to do)” | 怎么样 — “how is it? / how about?” | The difference |
|---|---|---|
| 这个菜怎么做？zhège cài zěnme zuò? | 这个菜怎么样？zhège cài zěnmeyàng? | 怎么 + a verb asks the method — how the dish is cooked. 怎么样 (no verb) asks your opinion — how the dish is. |
| 这件事怎么处理？zhè jiàn shì zěnme chǔlǐ? | 这个周末怎么样？zhège zhōumò zěnmeyàng? | 怎么 + a verb for handling something. 怎么样 on its own to float a suggestion — “how about this weekend?”. |
Try it yourself
Ask “How do you use chopsticks?” — tap the words into order.
Related patterns
Quick reference card
How to Ask “How?” with 怎么 (zěnme) grammar.merrymandarin.com A pocket summary — print it and keep it by your desk.