shen ma?

my co-worker: Kristina. How do you say? (motioning to scissors)
K: Scissors!
coworker: Scissors! ok. scissors.
K: How do you say in chinese?
coworker: what?
K: How do you say in chinese? zhe ge zen me shoa?(motioning to scissors)
coworker: bu dong, I dont' know english!

ok. I think we're about at the same level of understand each other, which is maybe 5%.