怎么回事(zěn me huí shì) - what's going on, what's the matter in Mandarin

怎么回事 (zěnme huí shì) 'what is going on' is 怎么 'how' plus 回事, literally 'a matter' counted with 回 (huí). 回 is a pictograph of a coil or whirl, here a measure word; 事 (shì, 'matter, affair') derives from a hand holding a recording implement.

Origin

compound

Root

怎么 (how) + 回 (huí, 'turn', measure word) + 事 (shì, 'affair')