how
gb/hˈaʊ/ us/hˈaʊ/
A1
Kiingereza
~ 100
Maana
maana 0
adverb
A1
relation
1
In what way or manner
Used to ask or say about the way something happens or is done.
Muundo wa matumizi:
how [auxiliary verb] [subject] [verb]?
Kosa la kawaida:
Learners sometimes confuse 'how' with 'what' when asking about identity, e.g., saying 'How is your name?' instead of 'What is your name?'.
Visawe
in what way (A direct equivalent phrase, more formal in tone.)
Vinyume
why (Asks for a reason instead of a manner or process.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
how it works
|how to do
|how things are
|how you feel
Mada
daily life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Mifano
- How do you make this cake?
- I don’t know how she solved the problem.
- Can you show me how it works?
- He explained how to use the new software.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- How do you cook rice?
- I know how to swim.
- She told me how to get there.
adverb
A1
relation
2
To what degree or extent
Used to ask or say about the size, amount, or level of something.
Muundo wa matumizi:
how [adjective/adverb] [subject/verb]?
Kosa la kawaida:
Learners sometimes confuse 'how much' and 'how many', using 'much' for countable nouns.
Visawe
to what extent (A formal equivalent often used in academic contexts.)
Vinyume
exactly (Gives a precise measure rather than asking about degree.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
how big
|how far
|how much
|how many
Mada
daily life
|measurement
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Mifano
- How tall is your brother?
- I wonder how far it is to the station.
- How much does this cost?
- Can you tell me how old she is?
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- How big is your house?
- How many apples are there?
- How far is the school?
conjunction
A2
relation
3
The way something happens or is done
Shows the way that something happens or is done.
Muundo wa matumizi:
[main clause] how [subject] [verb]
Visawe
the way that (Direct equivalent, slightly more formal.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
remember how
|show how
|explain how
Mada
communication
|core_vocabulary
Mifano
- I remember how we first met.
- She showed me how she fixed the car.
- He explained how he solved the puzzle.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- I know how she runs fast.
- He told me how he made it.
- We learned how they play the game.
interjection
informal
B1
action
4
Expresses surprise about manner/degree
Said to show surprise or strong feeling about the way something is.
Kosa la kawaida:
Learners may forget to invert subject and verb in exclamations, e.g., 'How beautiful it is!' not 'How it is beautiful!'.
Visawe
what a...! (Similar emotional force but uses a different grammatical form.)
Mada
emotions
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Mifano
- How beautiful this place is!
- How quickly time flies!
- How strange that he didn’t call.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- How nice you are!
- How big this tree is!
- How fast you run!
Sarufi
Semi
how come
1/hˈaʊ kˈʌm/
fixed phrase
informal
Informal way to ask why
Used to ask why something happened, in an informal way.
Mifano
- 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.
Mifano
- 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.
Mifano
- You know how she always sings in the shower? Well, today she didn’t.
- You know how traffic gets bad on Fridays?