About
咋 is a phono-semantic compound with the mouth radical 口 on the left, indicating its connection to vocal or oral actions. The right component 乍 serves as the phonetic element while also suggesting suddenness or abruptness. Historically, the character denoted sudden, loud noises produced by the mouth, such as shouting or a tongue-click of surprise. In modern colloquial use, especially in northern dialects, its pronunciation and function shifted significantly to serve as an interrogative pronoun. Here, it acts as a casual shorthand for asking how an action is done or why an event occurred, transforming from a descriptive sound word into a common component of everyday questions.
Example Sentences Hide
你咋还不来？
这事儿该咋办？
你昨天是咋回家的？
这菜的味道咋样？
你咋知道这件事的？
你咋就不明白我的意思呢？
事情弄成这样，你让我咋跟他们解释？
这么多工作，你一个人打算咋完成？