怎生
Chinese
| how | to be born; to give birth; life to be born; to give birth; life; to grow; student; raw | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| simp. and trad. (怎生) |
怎 | 生 | |
Etymology
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Pronunciation
- Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Hanyu Pinyin: zěnshēng
- Zhuyin: ㄗㄣˇ ㄕㄥ
- Tongyong Pinyin: zěnsheng
- Wade–Giles: tsên3-shêng1
- Yale: dzěn-shēng
- Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tzeensheng
- Palladius: цзэньшэн (czɛnʹšɛn)
- Sinological IPA (key): /t͡sən²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵/
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong–Macau)+
- Jyutping: zam2 sang1
- Yale: jám sāng
- Cantonese Pinyin: dzam2 sang1
- Guangdong Romanization: zem2 seng1
- Sinological IPA (key): /t͡sɐm³⁵ sɐŋ⁵⁵/
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong–Macau)+
Adverb
怎生 (obsolete)
- how
- why
- 婆婆索錢去了，怎生這早晚不見回來？ [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
- From: Yuan Dynasty, Guan Hanqing, The Injustice to Dou E
- Pópó suǒqián qù le, zěnshēng zhè zǎowǎn bùjiàn huílái? [Pinyin]
- My mother-in-law went to beg for alms; why am I yet to see her return, despite how late it is?
婆婆索钱去了，怎生这早晚不见回来？ [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]
- in what way; what
- 孩兒，你教我怎生說波！ [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
- From: Yuan Dynasty, Guan Hanqing, The Injustice to Dou E
- Hái'ér, nǐ jiào wǒ zěnshēng shuō bō! [Pinyin]
- O my child, what am I to say! (literally, "what would you have me say!")
孩儿，你教我怎生说波！ [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]
- no matter what; must
Synonyms
Dialectal synonyms of 怎麼 (“how”) [map]