HSKReadyGet the appHSK 4 Fixed Phrase: 怎么都/也+不/没…… (No Matter How, Not)
The fixed pattern 怎么都/也+不/没…… expresses that regardless of the method, effort, or angle attempted, a negative result or refusal remains unchanged.
我昨晚太紧张了，怎么也睡不着。
Here 怎么 needs no extra attempt verb before 也 because the intended action (trying to sleep) is already clear from 睡不着.
Read the full explanation and examples
Core Meaning and Syllabus Scope
In this Level 4 outline pattern, 怎么 covers possible methods or efforts (“no matter how”), and 都 or 也 connects them to an unchanged negative result. The same written words can have other readings: context must show whether 怎么 is an open question or a no-matter-how condition.
The resulting sentence states that despite repeated tries or varied approaches, a desired outcome fails to happen or a state refuses to change. Both 都 and 也 link the universal condition to the negative result. In negative sentences like this, 也 is often slightly more emphatic or colloquial in tone, while 都 highlights that all attempts lead to the same dead end, though in daily speech the two are largely interchangeable.
我昨晚太紧张了，怎么也睡不着。
Here 怎么 needs no extra attempt verb before 也 because the intended action (trying to sleep) is already clear from 睡不着.
Sentence Structures and Negation Choice
This fixed phrase appears in two main structural variations depending on whether you specify the action being attempted right after 怎么, or leave the manner implicit and put the main verb at the end.
- Use 不 for a negative state, refusal or inability, as in 不相信 or 不肯. The choice depends on the intended meaning; a mental verb can also occur with 没 when reporting a result, as in 怎么解释他都没明白.
- Using 没: Chosen when reporting that specific attempts in the past or up to the present failed to achieve an objective fact (such as 没找到, 没看见, 没听懂).
- Optional Attempt Verb: You can insert an action verb immediately after 怎么 (for example, 怎么说, 怎么找, 怎么解释) to specify what effort is being made, or omit it when the final predicate already makes the action clear.
我怎么解释，他都不相信。
When the two clauses have different subjects (我 and 他), 怎么 goes with the first subject's attempt (我怎么解释), and 都/也 goes after the second subject (他都不相信).
我把房间找了一遍，怎么都没找到那把钥匙。
Uses 没 because the speaker is reporting a failed attempt in the past.
Pairing with Negative Potential Complements
In natural Chinese, one of the most frequent ways to use 怎么都/也+不…… is through a negative potential complement (Verb + 不 + Result/Direction Complement). In this variation, the negation marker 不 does not stand directly in front of the main verb; instead, it sits inside the complement phrase to show that an outcome cannot be achieved despite effort.
Notice how native speakers frequently repeat the verb: the first instance after 怎么 names the attempt (怎么推, 'no matter how one pushes'), and the second instance carries the potential complement (推不开, 'cannot push open'). Objects are regularly moved to the front of the clause as a topic so the verb and complement stay tightly bound.
这扇门坏了，怎么推都推不开。
The verb 推 is used after 怎么 to specify the method of attempt, and repeated in the negative potential complement 推不开.
这件白衬衫上的咖啡印怎么洗也洗不干净。
The object (the coffee stain) is placed at the start as the topic, followed by 怎么洗也洗不干净.
Important Contrast: Universal Negation vs. 'Why' Questions
In 你们怎么都不说话？, a natural reading is “Why is none of you speaking?”: 都 refers to all the people, and 怎么 asks why. But a plural subject and question mark alone do not force that reading. A question such as 你们怎么劝也劝不动他吗？ can ask whether all attempts to persuade him fail.
你们怎么都不说话？
Contrast example: Here 怎么 means 'why' and 都 means 'all (of you)'. It is a question, not the 'no matter how' fixed phrase.
Choose Between Asking Why and Saying “No Matter How”
Use the full 怎么……都/也…… pattern to make the no-matter-how meaning clear in these examples. Without 都 or 也, 我怎么想不出来呢？ is still a normal why-question. Adding 也 and repeating 想 changes the communicative task from asking for a reason to stating an unchanged result.
这道数学题我怎么想不出来呢？
A natural question or self-question: 怎么 asks why the speaker cannot solve it. It does not explicitly say “no matter how I try”. Compare the next example, which does express that meaning.
这道数学题太难了，我怎么想也想不出来。
This statement explicitly pairs 怎么想 with 也想不出来. Unlike the preceding why-question, it says that varying the attempt does not change the unsuccessful result.
Frequently asked questions
Is there any difference between using 都 and 也 in this pattern?
In this negative no-matter-how use, 都 and 也 often share the core meaning. For example, 怎么想都想不出来 and 怎么想也想不出来 both describe unsuccessful attempts. Their emphasis depends on context. This interchangeability does not apply when 都 means “all the people”, as in the why-question example.
Can I add 不管 or 无论 in front of 怎么?
Yes. Adding 不管 or 无论 before 怎么 (for example, 不管怎么说，他都不同意) is completely natural and makes the 'no matter how' meaning even more explicit, without changing the requirement for 都 or 也 later in the clause.
Which HSK level includes 怎么都/也+不/没……?
In the 2025-11 edition of the revised HSK syllabus (labeled for 2026-07 implementation), this fixed phrase is listed at Level 4. Note that syllabus levels define the reference teaching outline, and test-takers should check with their official test center regarding which exam version is currently administered.
