怎么办 zěn me bàn
“what's to be done”
pronoun, verb2021 list level 2Traditional 怎麼辦
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
怎么办 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 964: 怎么办 zěnmebàn — Level 3; official annotation 3. PDF page 104
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 怎么办
怎么办 is a fixed expression meaning "what should be done / what shall we do." It stands alone as a question or follows a subject or clause: 我们怎么办？ / 下雨了，怎么办？ It asks about a course of action, not about a method (怎么 + verb) or a state (怎么样).
例句Example sentences
- 我的钥匙丢了，怎么办？wǒ de yào shi diū le, zěn me bàn?I've lost my keys — what should I do?
- 明天就要考试了，你还没复习，怎么办？míng tiān jiù yào kǎo shì le, nǐ hái méi fù xí, zěn me bàn?The exam is tomorrow and you haven't reviewed yet — what are you going to do?
- 别着急，我们先想想怎么办。bié zháo jí, wǒ men xiān xiǎng xiǎng zěn me bàn.Don't worry; let's first think about what to do.
易混词Easily confused
怎么办vs怎么样
怎么样 asks "how is it / how about it" about a state or an opinion (天气怎么样？ / 这个怎么样？), while 怎么办 asks what action to take in a problem situation.