Hanzi Now
吗 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now
吗 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now
吗 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now
吗 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now
吗 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now
吗 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now
吗 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now
吗 Chinese character image - Hanzi Now

吗 Stroke Order — How to Write 吗

Stroke Order

吗 is written in 6 strokes, following the standard Chinese stroke order. Start from the radical 口, then complete the remaining strokes.

Stroke order matters in Chinese: it keeps the character balanced, and it is how dictionaries and handwriting input methods expect a character to be written.

吗 Radical and Character Components

Components:口马

吗 is a phono-semantic compound: 口 (mouth) carries the meaning, while 马 indicates the sound.

Radical: 口 + 3 more strokes

吗 Pronunciation and Pinyin

  • má
  • mǎ
  • ma

Meanings of 吗 in Chinese

1

má吗

Used in rhetorical questions or challenges, meaning "what are you doing?" or "why?". It conveys a sense of inquiry about an action, often implying mild surprise or disapproval.
你干吗发呆？
Why are you spacing out?
2

mǎ吗

Morphine: An organic compound made from opium, used as a powerful pain reliever.
他需要吗啡来止痛。
He needs morphine for pain relief.
An interrogative particle used at the end of a sentence to form a question, often expressing doubt, surprise, or a rhetorical challenge, similar to 'really?' or 'is it true that...?'
你确定这是事实吗？
Are you sure this is the truth?
3

ma吗

A particle used at the end of a declarative sentence to form a question, similar to adding a question mark in English.
这个好吃吗？
Is this delicious?
An auxiliary particle used after a pause to introduce a topic in a gentle or indirect tone, similar to 'as for...' or 'speaking of...'
学习吗，兴趣最重要。
As for studying, interest is the most important thing.

Common Words and Phrases with 吗

1
mǎ吗fēi啡
Morphine is a potent analgesic and the main alkaloid of opium, primarily used for severe pain. It is highly addictive and suppresses the respiratory system.
医生给病人注射了吗啡来缓解剧烈疼痛。
The doctor injected the patient with morphine to alleviate severe pain.

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Questions about 吗

What does 吗 mean in Chinese?

吗 (má) means “Used in rhetorical questions or challenges, meaning "what are you doing?" or "why?". It conveys a sense of inquiry about an action, often implying mild surprise or disapproval” in Chinese.

How do you pronounce 吗?

吗 has 3 pronunciations: má, mǎ, ma.

How many strokes does 吗 have?

吗 has 6 strokes.

How do you write 吗?

吗 is written in 6 strokes, starting from the radical 口. See the animated stroke order on this page.

What is the radical of 吗?

The radical of 吗 is 口, and 吗 is a phono-semantic compound.