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March 24, 2026
嘛ma(ma5)
The character 嘛 (ma) is a modal particle commonly used in Mandarin to indicate that something is obvious or to add emphasis to a statement. It often appears at the end of sentences and can convey a sense of casualness or familiarity in conversation.
Strokes14Radical口Frequency#237DifficultyHard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, using 嘛 can reflect a relaxed attitude in communication, often seen in friendly exchanges. It signifies a shared understanding, making conversations feel more intimate and less formal.
Memory Tip
Imagine a person saying 'ma' while shrugging their shoulders, indicating 'it's obvious!' The character 嘛 has a simple structure, with the radical 口 (kǒu) suggesting speech, and 'ma' sounding like a casual, laid-back affirmation.
Meanings of 嘛
ma(ma5)
1modal particle indicating that sth is obvious
2particle indicating a pause for emphasis
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 嘛
嘛Simplified
14Strokes
口Radical
语气词yǔqìcímodal particle (mod.part.)Part of Speech
#237Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L6HSK 3.0L6IntermediateHSKKL3CEFRC1
Podcast: 嘛
Podcast: 嘛
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AI Study Notes for 嘛
Usage Notes
Learners often mistakenly omit 嘛 in conversational contexts where it adds emphasis or clarity, leading to a more formal tone. It is used in informal conversations, so avoid using it in formal writing. Be careful with its placement at the end of sentences to ensure natural flow.
HSK Study Tips
As an HSK 6 word,嘩 (ma) can enhance your conversational skills by adding nuance. Focus on its usage in casual dialogues and practice incorporating it into your speech to sound more natural and fluent.
Common Mistakes
A common mistake is to use 嘛 in overly formal contexts or omit it entirely in casual conversations, leading to a stiff tone. For example, saying '你知道吗?' (nǐ zhīdào ma?) without 嘛 can sound abruptly formal; using it as '你知道嘛?' feels more relaxed.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 嘛
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Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and 麻 represents the sound.
1The meaning half口 carries the sense.
2The sound half麻 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawaymouth
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 嘛? 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 嘛?
Decomposition of 嘛
IDS Structure⿰口麻
嘛Full Character
=
口kou3
left
麻ma2
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 嘛?
How to say modal particle indicating that sth is obvious in Chinese
“modal particle indicating that sth is obvious” in Chinese is嘛ma
The character 嘛 (ma) is a modal particle commonly used in Mandarin to indicate that something is obvious or to add emphasis to a statement. It often appears at the end of sentences and can convey a sense of casualness or familiarity in conversation.
When to use 嘛
Learners often mistakenly omit 嘛 in conversational contexts where it adds emphasis or clarity, leading to a more formal tone. It is used in informal conversations, so avoid using it in formal writing. Be careful with its placement at the end of sentences to ensure natural flow.
What learners get wrong
A common mistake is to use 嘛 in overly formal contexts or omit it entirely in casual conversations, leading to a stiff tone. For example, saying '你知道吗?' (nǐ zhīdào ma?) without 嘛 can sound abruptly formal; using it as '你知道嘛?' feels more relaxed.
Write 嘛
嘛
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Practice writing 嘛 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 嘛
嘛 functions as a grammatical particle — it carries no standalone meaning but signals a grammatical relationship. Particles attach to specific positions in the sentence (clause-final 吗/吧/呢, post-verbal 了/过/着, post-noun 的) and rarely move. It carries 3 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
