Hi ChinesePod team, my question is this:
Could you please help me understand how to use zenme “怎么” in a sentence using future and past tense? Also, is there a formal or informal version of this word?
Hi Alanna,
In Chinese, 怎么 [zěn me] can have different meanings. Most commonly, it means “how”.
- 我们怎么过去？
How do we get there?
怎么 [zěn me] can mean “what happened” as well:
- 怎么回事？
What happened?
The term by itself can have the same meaning as well, but this is mainly used in informal situations:
- 怎么了？
What happened?
刚刚怎么了？
What just happened?
More detailed explanation, you can check out the lesson link that @podster shared.
Betty