<p>You might be tempted to conclude that 不怎么 (bù zěnme) seems to mean &quot;not how,&quot; but it actually means &quot;not often&quot; when used together with a verb.</p>
<h2 id="structure">Structure</h2>
<p>When 不怎么 is used with a verb, it means that one does not put a lot of time or energy into doing it. In other words, the action is done &quot;not often.&quot; When the verb is used with an object, it also means that the number (or quantity) is really small.</p>
<div class="jiegou">
<p>Subj. + 不怎么 + Verb ( + Obj. )</p>
</div>
<h2 id="examples">Examples</h2>
<div class="liju">
<ul>
<li>他 <em>不怎么</em> 说话 。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>bù zěnme</em> xǐhuan shuōhuà.</span><span class="trans">He doesn't like talking too much.</span></li>
<li>我 老公 <em>不怎么</em> 做饭 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ lǎogōng <em>bù zěnme</em> zuòfàn.</span><span class="trans">My husband doesn't cook very often.</span></li>
<li>我们 <em>不怎么</em> 看 电视 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen <em>bù zěnme</em> kàn diànshì.</span><span class="trans">We don't watch a lot of television.</span></li>
<li>我 儿子 <em>不怎么</em>吃 零食 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ érzi <em>bùzěnme</em> chī língshí.</span><span class="trans">My son doesn't eat snacks very often.</span></li>
<li>老板 <em>不怎么</em> 来 办公室 。<span class="pinyin">Lǎobǎn <em>bù zěnme</em> lái bàngōngshì.</span><span class="trans">My boss doesn't come to the office very often.</span></li>
<li>你 好像 <em>不怎么</em> 喝酒 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ hǎoxiàng <em>bù zěnme</em> hējiǔ.</span><span class="trans">It seems that you don't drink very often.</span></li>
<li>我 同事 <em>不怎么</em> 去 健身 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ tóngshì <em>bù zěnme</em> qù jiànshēn.</span><span class="trans">My colleagues don't go to the gym.</span></li>
<li>新 室友 <em>不怎么</em> 跟 朋友 出去 玩 。<span class="pinyin">Xīn shìyǒu <em>bù zěnme</em> gēn péngyou chūqù wán.</span><span class="trans">The new roommate doesn't go out and have fun with her friends very often.</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h2 id="usage-of-没怎么">Usage of 没怎么</h2>
<p>Note that the examples below use 没 instead of 不. This is because the verb uses or implies 有 and thus it uses the same <a href="Negation_of_&quot;you&quot;" title="wikilink"> the 有 negation rules</a>.</p>
<div class="liju">
<ul>
<li>他 <em>没 怎么</em> 说话 。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>méi zěnme</em> shuōhuà.</span><span class="trans">He didn't say much.</span></li>
<li>我 <em>没 怎么</em> 复习 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>méi zěnme</em> fùxí.</span><span class="trans">I didn't review much.</span></li>
<li>开会 的 时候 ,我们 <em>没 怎么</em> 讨论 这 件 事 。<span class="pinyin">Kāihuì de shíhou, wǒmen <em>méi zěnme</em> tǎolùn zhè jiàn shì.</span><span class="trans">We didn't discuss this matter much when we were at the meeting.</span></li>
<li>昨天 我 肚子 不 舒服 ,<em>没 怎么</em> 吃 东西 。<span class="pinyin">Zuótiān wǒ dùzi bù shūfu, <em>méi zěnme</em> chī dōngxi.</span><span class="trans">I didn't feel well in the stomach yesterday, so I didn't eat much.</span></li>
<li>今天 很 热 ,不过 我 <em>没 怎么</em> 出汗 。<span class="pinyin">Jīntiān hěn rè, bùguò wǒ <em>méi zěnme</em> chūhàn.</span><span class="trans">It's hot today, but I didn't sweat much.</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p>Lastly, make sure to use 不怎么 with a verb if you want it to mean &quot;not often.&quot; Using it with an adjective gives it a <a href="&quot;Not_very&quot;_with_&quot;bu_zenme&quot;" title="wikilink"> different meaning</a>.</p>
<h2 id="see-also">See Also</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="How_to_do_something_with_&quot;zenme&quot;" title="wikilink">How to do something with &quot;zenme&quot;</a></li>
<li><a href="Asking_why_with_&quot;zenme&quot;" title="wikilink">Asking why with &quot;zenme&quot;</a></li>
<li><a href="&quot;Not_very&quot;_with_&quot;bu_zenme&quot;" title="wikilink">&quot;Not very&quot; with &quot;bu zenme&quot;</a></li>
</ul>
<h2 id="sources-and-further-reading">Sources and further reading</h2>
<h3 id="books">Books</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="Short-term_Spoken_Chinese:_Elementary_(汉语口语速成基础篇)" title="wikilink">Short-term Spoken Chinese: Elementary (汉语口语速成基础篇)</a> (pp. 139) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00326U9MS/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=allset-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=217145&amp;creative=399373&amp;creativeASIN=B00326U9MS">→buy</a></li>
<li><a href="现代汉语八百词" class="uri" title="wikilink">现代汉语八百词</a> (p.652) <a href="http://www.amazon.cn/mn/detailApp?_encoding=UTF8&amp;tag=allset-23&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;asin=B001198GSW&amp;camp=536&amp;creative=3132&amp;creativeASIN=B001198GSW">→buy</a></li>
</ul>