Meaning:

    “怎么” means “how,” and “破” is short for “破解,” which means to “crack (a cypher).” No one knows exactly when this saying became popular or who first said it. But Chinese netizens use it frequently instead of the more common “怎么办” (What can I do). Some say this saying makes the speaker sound “cuter.”

    Example:

    A: 你怎么又感冒了？

    Nǐ zěnme yòu gǎnmào le?

    Why have you caught a cold again?

    B: 晚上睡觉我总是踢被子，怎么破？

    Wǎnshàng shuìjiào wǒ zǒngshì tī bèizi, zěnme pò?

    I always kick away the quilt during my sleep at night. What can I do?

    A: 还是买个睡袋吧。

    Háishì mǎi gè shuìdài ba。

    You’d better buy a sleeping bag.

    B: 可是我已经感冒了，怎么破？

    Kěshì wǒ yǐjīng gǎnmào le, zěnme pò?

    Now I’ve already caught a cold. What can I do?

    A: 要不就吃感冒药，要不就多喝水，扛着。

    Yàobù jìu chī gǎnmào yào, yàobù jìu duō hēshuǐ, kángzhe。

    Take some cold medicine, or just drink more water and wait for it to run its course.