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杩 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
杩màheadboardx, 7 strokes, radical 木
mà(ma4) T4
  1. 1headboard
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

杩(榪)mà(ma4)

The character 杩 (mà) refers to a headboard or a structural element often found in traditional Chinese furniture. It is typically used in contexts discussing furniture design, architecture, or cultural artifacts, particularly those from historical or classical settings.

Strokes7Radical木
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, traditional furniture often carries significant aesthetic and functional value. The headboard is more than just a support; it reflects the craftsmanship and artistic style of the period it comes from.

Memory Tip

Imagine a big wooden headboard of a bed (the character's meaning) that has a 'm' shape at the top, representing the 'm' in mà. Visualize it being sturdy and supporting a dreamer's nightly adventures.

Meanings of 杩

mà(ma4)
1headboard
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 杩

杩Simplified
榪Traditional
7Strokes
木Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 杩

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Podcast: 杩

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AI Study Notes for 杩

Usage Notes

This character is rarely used in everyday conversation, making it more appropriate for formal contexts, such as literature or traditional studies. Learners should be cautious not to confuse it with more common characters that have similar sounds.

HSK Study Tips

Although 杩 is not part of the HSK curriculum, understanding its structure may help learners recognize other characters that contain the radical 板, which relates to wood or boards. Focus on the character's form and its use in historical texts to enrich vocabulary.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 杩 with more common characters due to its phonetic similarities, such as 马 (mǎ, horse). It's important to remember that 杩 specifically refers to a headboard and not to any other meaning.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 杩

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Etymology of 杩

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

tree

Semantic (meaning)木
+
Phonetic (sound)马
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 杩

  1. 1The meaning half木 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half马 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaytree
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 杩? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 杩?

Decomposition of 杩

IDS Structure⿰木马
杩Full Character
=
木Mu4
left
马Ma3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 杩?

How to say headboard in Chinese

“headboard” in Chinese is杩mà

The character 杩 (mà) refers to a headboard or a structural element often found in traditional Chinese furniture. It is typically used in contexts discussing furniture design, architecture, or cultural artifacts, particularly those from historical or classical settings.

When to use 杩

This character is rarely used in everyday conversation, making it more appropriate for formal contexts, such as literature or traditional studies. Learners should be cautious not to confuse it with more common characters that have similar sounds.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 杩 with more common characters due to its phonetic similarities, such as 马 (mǎ, horse). It's important to remember that 杩 specifically refers to a headboard and not to any other meaning.

Write 杩

杩

Practice writing 杩 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 杩

Words Containing This Character1
杩màheadboard榪
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 杩 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 杩

It primarily refers to a headboard, particularly in contexts involving traditional furniture.

Jason Recommends

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Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.