What does “how” mean?
- 1
adverbused to ask about the way something is done or happens
How do you make this cake?
- 2
adverbused to ask about amount, age, size or condition
How old is your brother?
- 3
conjunctionthe way in which something happens or is done
I don’t know how she did it.
How at a glance
- Part of speech
- adverb & conjunction
- CEFR level
- A1 (beginner)
- Pronunciation
- /haʊ/ · HOW
How to use “how” correctly
In indirect questions, keep normal word order: “Tell me how it works”, not “Tell me how does it work”.
Common phrases with “how”
- how much
- how many
- how long
- how about
“how” is on these word lists
Learn these words next
- also adverbA1in addition; as well
- just adverbA1a very short time ago
- not adverbA1used to make a word, phrase or sentence negative
- off adverbA1away from a place or position
- out adverbA1away from the inside of a place or container
- pretty adverbA1fairly or quite, but not extremely
- really adverbA1very or very much
- so adverbA1very or to such a great degree