昨晚过得怎么样？
zuówǎn guò de zěnmeyàng?
In Chinese, the phrase 'how was your night' is translated as 昨晚过得怎么样？ (zuówǎn guò de zěnmeyàng?)
This phrase is used to ask someone how they spent their time or slept during the previous night. If you want to ask specifically about the quality of someone's sleep rather than their general experience of the night, you should use 睡 (sleep) instead of 过 (to spend/pass time).
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 昨晚 (last night), 过 (to spend/pass time), 得 (a particle used to link a verb to a complement of manner/degree) and 怎么样 (how).
How does it change in a sentence?
Replacing 怎么样 (how) with 好吗 (good?) changes the question from an open-ended 'how was it' to a yes/no question asking if it was good.
How do you pronounce it?
zuówǎn guò de zěnmeyàng?
When do people say it?
A common, natural response to this question is 挺好的, meaning 'quite good' or 'pretty good'.
Did you know?
- If you ask a stranger this question in a business setting, it might imply you are asking about their personal life or even their romantic activities.
- The character 过 in this phrase can also mean 'to cross a bridge' or 'to pass an exam', reflecting the idea of time 'crossing' from one day to the next.
- In many Chinese-speaking cultures, asking about someone's night or sleep is a standard way to show care and intimacy, rather than being an invasion of privacy.
Examples in context
- 昨晚过得怎么样？Zuówǎn guò de zěnmeyàng?How was your night?
- 你昨晚过得怎么样？Nǐ zuówǎn guò de zěnmeyàng?How was your night spent?
Example conversation
At the office in the morning.
- 志强 Zhiqiang梓涵，昨晚过得怎么样？Zǐhán, zuówǎn guò de zěnmeyàng?Zihan, how was your night?
- 梓涵 Zihan挺好的，谢谢志强。Tǐng hǎo de, xièxiè Zhìqiáng.It was quite good, thanks Zhiqiang.
- 志强 Zhiqiang你昨晚睡得香吗？Nǐ zuówǎn shuì de xiāng ma?Did you sleep soundly last night?
- 梓涵 Zihan睡得很沉，很有精神。Shuì de hěn chén, hěn yǒu jīngshén.I slept very deeply and feel very energetic.
