Jump to content
Chinese-Forums
  • Sign Up

咋 / 怎么


Dani

Recommended Posts

大家好!

What exactly is the difference between using 咋 or 怎么? Is using 咋 more like 方言 or 乡下人style? However 咋那样贵?sounds more tasty to me than 为什么这样贵? I believe they have (almost) the same meaning.

Can you please write me some examples sentences and sentence patterns when 咋 can be used? (or let's say more meaningful to use 咋 than 怎么)

多谢 :)

p.s.: Anyway if you say 怎么 fast enough, it sounds exactly like 咋. Maybe this is the reason... like 乜野啊=咩呀 in Cantonese.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I heard before (from Chinese people) that 咋 doesn't count as standard mandarin and is more (as you said) a 方言 (东北).

To try to confirm the issue, I just asked another person, who said that you "could say it is Mandarin" and that everyone will understand, but that it is more commonly used by people in rural areas, and people without high education. (So, getting two different answers, I guess I didn't confirm anything!)

So, I guess if you like it, go right ahead! But it could be considered strange by some people, I suppose.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • New Members

hi Dani!I'm a chinese student,and I think I could give you some advice.

咋 and 怎么 means why,what or how in chinese.

咋 is mostly used in the Northeast in China.

In(or On?I'm not sure) some official situation we never used 咋 but 怎么.

You're right,they have the same meaning.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for all answers, today I asked my girlfriend (who's native Chinese) and she told me the same 咋 is used by 乡下人, and I should only use it if I want to say something on the funny way... As I live in Guangzhou, maybe people here won't understand it at all, or they won't understand it from me (a 鬼佬)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey Dani

I'm a native Chinese as well but I don't really agree with your gf on this one. I know for a fact that there are some people in China that'll make fun of/look down upon people with different accents. (it's kind of like how some Americans laugh at Canadians who say 'aboot') I'm sure in Guangzhou it's unusual for people to say 咋, but in the northern provinces you'll find that people use 咋 a lot more often. To me 咋 and 怎么 have the same meaning but 咋 is more slang and 怎么 is what you would use for formal writing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

On most occasion,literally,咋or怎么 has the same meaning,you can use either of them in a sentence.

Differece between the two is when you speak,咋 often used by northern chinese,especially pesants,if you use 咋 in southern china,you probably will be laughed upon your wierd accent..

Well,as a southerner,I graduated from a university in northern china,when i use 咋 back to my home town after graduation,that's what i get..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's not used by rural.

It's just a localism.

怎么is the mandarin.

咋is the localism.

certainly,when you use 怎么 in a conversation with a Chinese.

He'll feel surprise.and he'll feel that you know Chinese well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and select your username and password later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Click here to reply. Select text to quote.

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...