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ChineseGrammarWiki


			
				
					
						
						
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<p>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.</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 "not often." 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
"not often." 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 "zenme"</a></li>
<li><a href="Asking_why_with_&quot;zenme&quot;" title=
"wikilink">Asking why with "zenme"</a></li>
<li><a href="&quot;Not_very&quot;_with_&quot;bu_zenme&quot;" title=
"wikilink">"Not very" with "bu zenme"</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_(%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)"
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=
"%E7%8E%B0%E4%BB%A3%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%85%AB%E7%99%BE%E8%AF%8D"
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>
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