how
gb/hˈaʊ/ us/hˈaʊ/
A1
English
~ 100
hogyan, mennyire, mennyi, milyen, ahogy, de
A1
1
hogyan
A1
Usage pattern:
how [auxiliary verb] [subject] [verb]?
How do you make this cake?
Hogyan készíted ezt a tortát?
I don’t know how she solved the problem.
Nem tudom, hogyan oldotta meg a problémát.
Can you show me how it works?
He explained how to use the new software.
Learner examples
How do you cook rice?
Hogyan kell rizst főzni?
I know how to swim.
Tudok úszni.
She told me how to get there.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'how' with 'what' when asking about identity, e.g., saying 'How is your name?' instead of 'What is your name?'.
Meaning
In what way or manner
Collocations
how it works
|how to do
|how things are
|how you feel
Synonyms
in what way (A direct equivalent phrase, more formal in tone.)
Antonyms
why (Asks for a reason instead of a manner or process.)
Themes
daily life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Used to ask or say about the way something happens or is done.
Used to ask or talk about the way in which something happens or is done.
A1
2
Usage pattern:
how [adjective/adverb] [subject/verb]?
How tall is your brother?
Milyen magas a fivéred?
I wonder how far it is to the station.
Kíváncsi vagyok, milyen messze van innen az állomás.
How much does this cost?
Can you tell me how old she is?
Learner examples
How big is your house?
Mekkora a házad?
How many apples are there?
Hány alma van?
How far is the school?
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'how much' and 'how many', using 'much' for countable nouns.
Meaning
To what degree or extent
Collocations
how big
|how far
|how much
|how many
Synonyms
to what extent (A formal equivalent often used in academic contexts.)
Antonyms
exactly (Gives a precise measure rather than asking about degree.)
Themes
daily life
|measurement
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Used to ask or say about the size, amount, or level of something.
Used to ask or talk about the degree, amount, or extent of something.
A2
3
Usage pattern:
[main clause] how [subject] [verb]
I remember how we first met.
Emlékszem, hogyan találkoztunk először.
She showed me how she fixed the car.
Megmutatta nekem, hogyan javította meg az autót.
He explained how he solved the puzzle.
Learner examples
I know how she runs fast.
Tudom, hogyan tud ilyen gyorsan futni.
He told me how he made it.
Elmondta, hogyan készítette.
We learned how they play the game.
Meaning
The way something happens or is done
Collocations
remember how
|show how
|explain how
Synonyms
the way that (Direct equivalent, slightly more formal.)
Themes
communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Shows the way that something happens or is done.
Introduces a clause describing the manner or process by which something happens.
B1
INFORMAL
4
How beautiful this place is!
Milyen szép ez a hely!
How quickly time flies!
Milyen gyorsan elszáll az idő!
How strange that he didn’t call.
Learner examples
How nice you are!
Milyen kedves vagy!
How big this tree is!
Milyen nagy ez a fa!
How fast you run!
Common mistake:
Learners may forget to invert subject and verb in exclamations, e.g., 'How beautiful it is!' not 'How it is beautiful!'.
Meaning
Expresses surprise about manner/degree
Synonyms
what a...! (Similar emotional force but uses a different grammatical form.)
Themes
emotions
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Said to show surprise or strong feeling about the way something is.
Used to express surprise, admiration, or emphasis about the way or degree something is.
Grammar
Dictionary form
how
IPA
GB/hˈaʊ/
US/hˈaʊ/
Syllables & stress
how (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (how)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: how
- Plural: hows
Word family
Expressions
how come
1/hˈaʊ kˈʌm/
fixed phrase
informal
Informal way to ask why
Used to ask why something happened, in an informal way.
Examples
- How come you didn’t call me?
- How come it’s so quiet today?
see how it goes
1/sˈi hˈaʊ ˈɪt ɡˈoʊz/
fixed phrase
Wait and watch before deciding next step
To wait and see what happens before making a decision.
Examples
- Let’s try it and see how it goes.
- We’ll start now and see how it goes.
you know how
1/jˈu nˈoʊ hˈaʊ/
fixed phrase
informal
Refers to shared knowledge of manner/situation
Used when talking about something you think the listener already knows about the way it happens.
Examples
- You know how she always sings in the shower? Well, today she didn’t.
- You know how traffic gets bad on Fridays?