How to Say ‘What's up?’ in Simplified Chinese
怎么了？
zěn me le
[dzuhn-muh le]
🇨🇳 In China: This is the natural reply when someone asks if you're free. It invites them to say what they need, and can also mean "What's wrong?" if someone looks upset.
Phrase Breakdown
怎么
zěn me
[dzuhn-muh]
how; why
A common question word used to ask how something happens or why something is the case, depending on context.
这个车费怎么这么高？
Why is this taxi fare so high?
了
le
[le]
particle indicating a change or situation
Sentence-final particle showing a new situation; in 'what's up?' it asks what happened.
你怎么了？
What's wrong with you?
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