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- === Sample Sentence Options === - Spaces -  Hide spaces between Chinese words - Pinyin -  Hide pinyin - Translations -  Hide translations

Expressing "not often" with "bu zenme" ======================================

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Level

[B1](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/B1_grammar_points)

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Similar to

- [How to do something with "zenme"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/How_to_do_something_with_%22zenme%22) (A1) - [Asking why with "zenme"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Asking_why_with_%22zenme%22) (A2) - [Expressing "not very" with "bu zenme"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22not_very%22_with_%22bu_zenme%22) (B1)

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Used for

[Expressing frequency](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_frequency)

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Keywords

[不怎么](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E4%B8%8D%E6%80%8E%E4%B9%88), [不](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E4%B8%8D), [怎么](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E6%80%8E%E4%B9%88)

[{width="300" height="300"}](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/File:Chinese-grammar-wiki-bu.jpg)

You might be tempted to conclude that 不怎么 (bù zěnme) seems to mean "not how," but it actually means "not often" when used together with a verb.

Contents --------  [hide]([# "wikilink")\] 

- [1 Structure](#Structure "wikilink") - [2 Examples](#Examples "wikilink") - [3 Usage of 没怎么](#Usage_of_.E6.B2.A1.E6.80.8E.E4.B9.88 "wikilink") - [4 See also](#See_also "wikilink") - [5 Sources and further reading](#Sources_and_further_reading "wikilink") - [5.1 Books](#Books "wikilink")

Structure --------------------------------------------------------- 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 "not often." When the verb is used with an object, it also means that the number (or quantity) is really small.

Subj. + 不怎么 + Verb

Examples -------------------------------------------------------

- 他 *不怎么* 爱 说话 。Tā *bù zěnme* ài shuōhuà.He doesn't like talking too much. - 我 老公 *不怎么* 运动 。Wǒ lǎogōng *bù zěnme* yùndòng.My husband doesn't exercise very often. - 我们 在家 *不怎么* 看 电视 。Wǒmen zài jiā *bù zěnme* kàn diànshì.We don't watch a lot of television at home. - 我 儿子 *不怎么*吃 零食 。Wǒ érzi *bùzěnme* chī língshí.My son doesn't eat snacks very often. - 老板 *不怎么* 来 办公室 。Lǎobǎn *bù zěnme* lái bàngōngshì.My boss doesn't come to the office very often. - 我 *不怎么* 在 网上 买 东西 。Wǒ *bù zěnme* zài wǎngshàng mǎi dóngxi.I don't online shop very often. - 他们 *不怎么* 跟 朋友 出去 玩 。Tāmen *bù zěnme* gēn péngyou chūqù wán.They don't often go out and have fun with friends.

Usage of 没怎么 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 [the 有 negation rules](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Negation_of_%22you%22).

- 我 *没 怎么* 复习 。Wǒ *méi zěnme* fùxí.I didn't review much. - 我 *没 怎么* 想 过 这个 问题 。Wǒ *méi zěnme* xiǎng guo zhège wèntí.I didn't really think about this before. - 昨天 我 肚子 不 舒服 ，*没 怎么* 吃 东西 。Zuótiān wǒ dùzi bù shūfu, *méi zěnme* chī dōngxi.My stomach didn't feel well yesterday, so I didn't eat much.

Lastly, make sure to use 不怎么 with a verb if you want it to mean "not often." Using it with an adjective gives it a [different meaning](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%22Not_very%22_with_%22bu_zenme%22). See also ------------------------------------------------------- - [How to do something with "zenme"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/How_to_do_something_with_%22zenme%22) - [Asking why with "zenme"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Asking_why_with_%22zenme%22) - ["Not very" with "bu zenme"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%22Not_very%22_with_%22bu_zenme%22) Sources and further reading --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ### Books - [Short-term Spoken Chinese: Elementary (汉语口语速成基础篇)](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Short-term_Spoken_Chinese:_Elementary_(%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%8F%A3%E8%AF%AD%E9%80%9F%E6%88%90%E5%9F%BA%E7%A1%80%E7%AF%87)) (pp. 139) \[ →buy\] - [现代汉语八百词](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E7%8E%B0%E4%BB%A3%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%85%AB%E7%99%BE%E8%AF%8D) (pp. 652) [→buy](http://www.amazon.cn/mn/detailApp?_encoding=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&asin=B001198GSW&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B001198GSW)

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