What does it mean word for word?
The phrase breaks down literally as 这个 (this) 用 (use) 中文 (Chinese) 怎么 (how) 说 (say).
Which one should you use?
You can replace 中文 (zhōngwén) with 汉语 (hànyǔ) if you want to specifically refer to the spoken Chinese language. For a more polite or formal approach, you can add 请问 (qǐngwèn) at the beginning, as in 请问这个用中文怎么说？ To express that you have forgotten a word, you can use the informal form 这个中文怎么说来着？, where 来着 indicates uncertainty. For a more polite way to ask how to express something, you can use 我想请教一下，这个用中文怎么表示？
How does it change in a sentence?
The word order for this question follows the subject-verb-object pattern of a statement, with the question word 怎么 (how) placed before the verb 说 (say).
How do you pronounce it?
zhège yòng zhōngwén zěnme shuō
Did you know?
- While 中文 refers to the language, the word 文 (wén) originally referred to the patterns on a tortoise shell used for divination, which eventually came to mean 'writing'.
- The word 中文 (zhōngwén) contains the character for 'middle', which comes from the ancient concept of the 'Middle Kingdom' being the center of the world.
- While 中文 is used for the language in general, 汉语 specifically references the 'Han' people, the dominant ethnic group in China.
Examples in context
- 这本书用中文怎么说啊？How to say this book in Chinese?
- 这个用中文怎么说？Zhège yòng Zhōngwén zěnme shuō?How do you say this one in Chinese?
- 请问，这个用中文怎么说？Qǐngwèn, zhège yòng Zhōngwén zěnme shuō?Excuse me, how do you say this one in Chinese?
- 我想知道这个用中文怎么说。Wǒ xiǎng zhīdào zhège yòng Zhōngwén zěnme shuō.I want to know how to say this one in Chinese.
Example conversation
Zi Han is pointing at a fruit in a supermarket while talking to Jun Jie.
- 梓涵 Zihan俊杰，这个用中文怎么说？Jùnjié, zhège yòng Zhōngwén zěnme shuō?Jun Jie, how do you say this one in Chinese?
- 俊杰 Junjie这个叫芒果。Zhège jiào mángguǒ.This one is called a mango.
- 梓涵 Zihan芒果，我知道了，谢谢！Mángguǒ, wǒ zhīdào le, xièxie!Mango, I've got it, thanks!
- 俊杰 Junjie没关系。Méiguānxi.You're welcome.
