Asking why with "zenme"

Nível: HSK 2 | Categoria: Gramática

            Fórmula Sintática: Subj. + 怎么 + Verb + Obj. ?
          

Explicação da Regra:

Aside from just meaning "how," 怎么 (zěnme) can also be used to ask "why" or "how come." Similar to the question word 为什么 (wèishénme), questions can also be asked with 怎么 (zěnme). Subj. + 怎么 + Verb + Obj. ? This has similar connotations to saying "how come" in English. It not only asks why, but expresses some surprise at the situation, and in some cases even disagreement with it. • 他怎么还没来？Tā zěnme hái méi lái? How come he's not here yet? • 你们怎么打人？Nǐmen zěnme dǎ rén? How can you hit people? • 他帮了你，你怎么不说 “谢谢” ？Tā bāng le nǐ, nǐ zěnme bù shuō "xièxie"? He helped you. How come you didn't say thank you? • 你结婚的时候怎么不告诉我？Nǐ jiéhūn de shíhou zěnme bù gàosu wǒ? How come you didn't tell me when you got married? • 我们还没开始吃，他怎么已经吃完了？Wǒmen hái méi kāishǐ chī, tā zěnme yǐjīng chī wán le? We haven't started eating yet. How come he has already finished eating? • 今天是星期一，你怎么不去上班？Jīntiān shì Xīngqīyī, nǐ zěnme bù qù shàngbān? Today is Monday. Why aren't you going to work? In this case, it's most common to negate the adjective after 怎么 (zěnme). Subj. + 怎么 (+ 不) + Adj. • 水怎么不热？Shuǐ zěnme bù rè? Why is the water not hot? • 这里的川菜怎么不辣？Zhèlǐ de chuāncài zěnme bù là? Why is the Sichuan food here not spicy? • 他亲了你，你怎么不高兴？Tā qīn le nǐ, nǐ zěnme bù gāoxìng? He kissed you. How come you're not happy? • 她的小猫死了，她怎么不难过？Tā de xiǎomāo sǐ le, tā zěnme bù nánguò? Her kitten died. Why isn't she sad? • 每天工作十二个小时，你怎么不累？Měi tiān gōngzuò shí'èr gè xiǎoshí, nǐ zěnme bù lèi?Every day you work 12 hours. Why are you not tired?

Exemplos com Falantes Nativos:

你们怎么打人？ (nǐmen zěnyāo dǎ rén ？): "How do you beat people?"
他帮了你，你怎么不说“谢谢”？ (tā bāng le nǐ，nǐ zěnyāo bù shuō “xièxiè” ？): "He helped you, why didn't you say "thank you"?"
你结婚的时候怎么不告诉我？ (nǐ jiéhūn deshíhòu zěnyāo bù gàosù wǒ ？): "Why didn't you tell me when you got married?"
我们还没开始吃，他怎么已经吃完了？ (wǒmen huán méi kāishǐ chī，tā zěnyāo yǐjīng chīwán le ？): "We haven't started eating yet, why has he finished it?"

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