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Lesson 22 of 44

怎么 in Context

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A NEW WORD HAS BEEN UNLOCKED
怎么

Usage 1 - "how?": 

*Sentence:

我不清楚怎么把门打开。

English:

I’m unclear on how to open the door。 

Top-Down Words:

清楚 qīngchu - clear; distinct; be clear about


Usage 2 - "why? (more indignant than 为什么?) ":

*Sentence:

你怎么现在才告诉我你爱我?太晚了。

English:

Why tell me now you love me? It’s too late.

Top-Down Words:

告诉 gàosu - to tell, to inform
晚 wǎn - late


Usage 3 - "in a certain way, in any way, no matter how"

*Dialogue:

A: 为什么小钟今天没来开会。
B: 因为他的儿子走丢了。
A: 什么?那现在找到了吗?
B: 先怎么找都找不到。后面请警察帮着一起找,总算找到了。

English:

A: Why didn't XiaoZhong come to the meeting today?
B: Because her son is missing.
A: What? So did she find him?
B: At first no matter where they looked they couldn't find him. Later they got the police involved to help in the search, and finally, they found him.

Top-Down Words:

请 qǐng - to ask
警察 jǐngchá - police
帮 bāng - to help
先 xiān - firstly



Need a Reminder?

The Six Steps to Learning Words

Understanding Chinese Words - Morphemes

3 Questions About Words

Great Job! Keep Going! 怎么样 in Context
Comments   3

Jason Pon

后面请警察帮着一起找

Why is 面 included here? I would think 后面 means 'behind'

REPLY

Mandarin Blueprint

It's just another way to say "after that." Much like in English, time and space words can often be used interchangably.

REPLY

MB Team

This is where Luke and Phil talked about your question in the Mandarin Blueprint Podcast:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_edfojFBfXo&t=4199s

REPLY