怎么 (zěnme) — how in Mandarin
🔊 Tap to hear it
#82 most common word · HSK 1 · CEFR A1
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Tone breakdown
怎么 is pronounced zěnme. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.
In a sentence
Nǐ zěnme qù xuéxiào?
How do you go to school?
Hear it, then say it right
Reading pinyin only gets you halfway. ToneDeck plays native audio for 怎么 and thousands more words, then scores your pronunciation so your tones land. HSK 1 is free, no install.
Start freeFrequently asked questions
What does 怎么 mean?+
怎么 (zěnme) means "how" in Mandarin Chinese.
How do you pronounce 怎么?+
怎么 is pronounced zěnme. It uses the tone 3 (rising/dipping). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.
How common is 怎么 in Mandarin?+
怎么 is the #82 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.
Where 怎么 fits
Every HSK 1 word with tone-coloured pinyin and audio.
Words at a similar frequency
Master the tones first
What each tone sounds like and why it matters.
Why some tones change in connected speech.
Coming to iOS & Android
The mobile app is on the way. The trainer works right now.
ToneDeck for iPhone and Android is launching soon, and your progress syncs across every device. Meanwhile the full tone trainer runs in your browser today — no install, free to start.
Browse more on the Mandarin vocabulary hub, or read how to learn Mandarin tones.