怎 zam² {zěn}

how

怎搞 zam² gaau² {zěn gǎo}

What's going on?; what happened? What to do?

怎的 zam² dik¹ {zěn de}

1. what for
2. why
3. how

怎樣〔-样〕 zam² joeng⁶ {zěn yàng}

1. how
2. why

怎麼〔-么〕 zam² mo¹ {zěn me}

1. how?
2. what?
3. why?

怎能 zam² nang⁴ {zěn néng}

how can?

怎生 zam² sang¹ {zěn shēng}

1. how
2. why

怎麼著〔-么着〕 {zěnmezhe}

1. what?
2. how?
3. how about?
4. whatever
5. also pr. [zen3 me5 zhe5]

怎麼辦〔-么办〕 zam² mo¹ baan⁶ {zěn me bàn}

what's to be done

怎麼樣〔-么样〕 zam² mo¹ joeng⁶ {zěn me yàng}

1. how?
2. how about?
3. how was it?
4. how are things?

怎麼了〔-么-〕 zam² mo¹ liu⁵ {zěn me le}

1. What's up?
2. What's going on?
3. What happened?

怎麼著〔-么着〕 zam² mo¹ zoek⁶ {zěn me zhāo}

1. what?
2. how?
3. how about?
4. whatever
5. also pr. [zen3 me5 zhe5]

怎麼得了〔-么--〕 zam² mo¹ dak¹ liu⁵ {zěn me dé liǎo}

1. how can this be?
2. what's to be done?
3. what an awful mess!

怎麼搞的〔-么--〕 zam² mo¹ gaau² dik¹ {zěn me gǎo de}

1. How did it happen?
2. What's wrong?
3. What went wrong?
4. What's up?

怎麼回事〔-么--〕 zam² mo¹ wui⁴ si⁶ {zěn me huí shì}

1. what's the matter?
2. what's going on?
3. how could that be?
4. how did that come about?
5. what's it all about?