---
title: "怎么 + verb + 也/都 + (verb) 不… in Chinese Grammar: No matter how (I) …, still …, With Examples"
description: "怎么 + verb + 也/都 + (verb) 不…: no matter how (I) …, still …. 怎么…也不: however hard someone tries, it doesn’t work. 2 real lines from stories, each word explained."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-grammar/zenme-v-ye-neg"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

[Chinese grammar](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-grammar)

# 怎么 + verb + 也/都 + (verb) 不…

No matter how (I) …, still …

怎么…也不: however hard someone tries, it doesn’t work.

## In stories

我算来算去，**怎么算都撑不下去**。

[饼干盒 · The biscuit tin full of notes](https://mandarinthewild.com/library/read/the-biscuit-tin-full-of-notes#library-word-595-603) HSK 4

他在地上滚来滚去，想把帽子摘下来，却发现帽子已经不见了，头上多了一个金箍，像长在肉里一样，**怎么拉也拉不下来**。

[紧箍咒 · The Tightening Spell](https://mandarinthewild.com/library/read/the-tightening-spell-journey-to-the-west-intermediate-chinese-11#library-word-883-891) HSK 5

[Read 饼干盒](https://mandarinthewild.com/library/read/the-biscuit-tin-full-of-notes#library-word-595-603)

## More patterns

- [verb + 不/得 + result (potential) cannot / can (manage to) …](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-grammar/v-bu-c)
- [连…都/也… even …](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-grammar/lian-dou)
- [再也 + 不/没 never again; not any more](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-grammar/zaiye-bu)
- [谁 + 也/都 + (V不C) no one / nothing: …](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-grammar/shei-ye-neg-v)
- [verb + 不了/得了 cannot …; can …](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-grammar/v-bu-liao)
- [一 + measure word (+ noun) + 也/都 + 不/没 not a single …](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-grammar/yi-cl-ye-bu)

## What does 怎么 + verb + 也/都 + (verb) 不… mean in Chinese?

No matter how (I) …, still …. 怎么…也不: however hard someone tries, it doesn’t work.

## How common is 怎么 + verb + 也/都 + (verb) 不…?

It comes up in 2 readings of the 392 stories and articles in our free Library.

## Does it correct my mistakes?

No. It shows which patterns a text uses and what each one does; it doesn’t mark errors. Paste a sentence you wrote to see whether it uses the pattern you meant.

## More free tools

- [Chinese dictionary](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-dictionary)
- [Measure words](https://mandarinthewild.com/measure-words)
- [How hard is this text?](https://mandarinthewild.com/text-level)
- [Free Chinese stories](https://mandarinthewild.com/library)

Patterns found by our own parser; lines from our free Library.