咋

zǎ, zé, zhā
乍 + 口
HSK 2.0Level 6

Definitions

zǎ (adverb) how; why; what
zhà (verb,adverb) shout; loud noise; suddenly
zé (verb) gnaw; bite

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and 乍 represents the sound.

Semantic: 口 Phonetic: 乍

About

A phono-semantic compound, 咋 combines the mouth radical 口 on the left with the phonetic component 乍 on the right, where 口 signals a connection to vocalizations, speech, or oral actions. Historically, it described sudden, loud mouth sounds, shouting, biting, or clicking the tongue in surprise. In modern colloquial Northern Chinese, the character underwent a dramatic shift, becoming an interrogative pronoun used as a casual shorthand for asking how or why something is done, evolving from a descriptive sound word into a common structural element of everyday questions.

Example Sentences Hide

你咋还不来？

Nǐ zǎ hái bù lái?

Why aren't you you coming yet?

这事儿该咋办？

Zhè shìr gāi zǎ bàn?

How should we handle this matter?

你昨天是咋回家的？

Nǐ zuótiān shì zǎ huí jiā de?

How did you get home yesterday?

这菜的味道咋样？

Zhè cài de wèidào zǎyàng?

How does this dish taste?

你咋知道这件事的？

Nǐ zǎ zhīdào zhè jiàn shì de?

How did you know about this?

你咋就不明白我的意思呢？

Nǐ zǎ jiù bù míngbái wǒ de yìsi ne?

Why on earth don't you understand what I mean?

事情弄成这样，你让我咋跟他们解释？

Shìqing nòng chéng zhèyàng, nǐ ràng wǒ zǎ gēn tāmen jiěshì?

Since things have turned out this way, how do you expect me to explain it to them?

这么多工作，你一个人打算咋完成？

Zhème duō gōngzuò, nǐ yī gèrén dǎsuàn zǎ wánchéng?

How do you plan to finish all this work by yourself?

Related Characters

Component: 乍

作 怎 炸 昨 窄 诈 乍 蚱 酢 祚 柞 笮 胙 舴

Component: 口

中 和 可 后 如 同 只 知 高 问 向 或 加 合

Example Words

咋呼 咋舌