怎么了
What’s wrong? What has happened?
Structure
（主语 +） 怎么了 ？
What it means
怎么了 asks what is wrong or what has happened: 你怎么了？ (What’s wrong?).
How it is built
(Person or thing +) 怎么了？: 你的手机怎么了？ (What’s up with your phone?), or alone: 怎么了？ (What’s up?).
When to use it
The answer says what has changed, usually with 了: 我生病了 (I’m ill). If nothing is wrong, answer 没什么 or 没事儿.
Watch out
Don’t mix it up with 怎么 + verb, which asks how to do something: 怎么走？ (How do I get there?). 怎么了 asks about a problem.
Examples
你怎么了？——我生病了。
What’s wrong? — I’m ill.
你的手机怎么了？——没电了。
What’s up with your phone? — The battery’s dead.
大卫怎么了？他今天没来上课。
What’s happened to David? He didn’t come to class today.
Learn this in HSK 1 · Lesson 20: 你怎么了 (Seeing a doctor)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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