How to Write 骂 (mà) — Meaning “to scold; to curse; to abuse”

Imagine two angry mouths shouting at a horse: "Ma! Ma!" The two mouths are stacked on top, and the horse is below. Each mouth makes three strokes, and the horse has three strokes too, making nine total.

The two mouths at the top should be stacked neatly — the upper mouth is slightly smaller. The bottom horse must be written with the correct stroke order: horizontal, vertical, horizontal, then a vertical hook. A common mistake is making the two mouths too far apart or writing the horse too large.

骂 has two mouths on top of a horse, so it looks like two boxes above a curvy shape. 君 has one mouth below a hand-like component, and 吝 has one mouth under a roof-like top. In meaning, 骂 is about scolding, 君 means "ruler", and 吝 means "stingy".

骂 is used for scolding, cursing, or verbally abusing someone. Common phrases include 骂人 (to swear at people) and 挨骂 (to get scolded). In Chinese culture, open scolding is considered rude, so 骂 often carries a strong negative tone and is used in emotional or confrontational situations.

Common words containing 骂 include: 骂人 (mà rén) — to scold someone; to swear at people; 挨骂 (ái mà) — get scolded; 责骂 (zé mà) — to scold; to berate.