嘛 (ma) - Meaning, Stroke Order, Words & Examples

Q: What does 嘛 (ma) mean in Chinese?

The Chinese character 嘛 (ma) means "(Particle) Indicating obviousness / (Dialect) What". It is an HSK Level 6 character, with 14 strokes and the radical 口.

Q: How do you write 嘛 stroke by stroke?

嘛 has 14 strokes. The radical is 口. Follow the standard stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. Practice with stroke animation to build muscle memory.

Q: What's the difference between 嘛 and 㕡?

嘛 (ma) and 㕡 look similar but differ in meaning and usage. Check the radical and stroke count to tell them apart.

Q: What mistakes do learners make writing 嘛?

Common mistake: incorrect stroke order or miswriting the radical 口. Pay attention to the proportion between components — keep the radical compact.

Q: What common words use 嘛?

Common words containing 嘛 include: 干嘛 (gàn má) — what are you doing? / why?; 就是嘛 (jiù shì ma) — exactly; that's right (used for emphasis).

How to Write 嘛

The character 嘛 (ma) is written with 14 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 口 is one of its key components.

Practice the correct stroke order with the Hanzi Writer app to see animated stroke-by-stroke guidance with real-time feedback.

Meaning & Pronunciation

嘛 is pronounced ma in Mandarin Chinese. It means (Particle) Indicating obviousness / (Dialect) What.

This is a polyphonic character with readings: ma, má.

As an HSK Level 6 character, 嘛 is an intermediate-level character.

Common Words with 嘛

干嘛 gàn má

what are you doing? / why?

就是嘛 jiù shì ma

exactly; that's right (used for emphasis)

Example Sentences

你在干嘛？

nǐ zài gàn má

What are you doing?

大家都是好朋友，互相帮助就是嘛。

dà jiā dōu shì hǎo péng yǒu ， hù xiāng bāng zhù jiù shì ma 。

We are all good friends, we should help each other.

你在干嘛呢？

nǐ zài gàn má ne ？

What are you doing?

Similar Characters

㕡 hé

啻 chì

啼 tí

Practice Writing 嘛 (ma)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 嘛 with real-time feedback.

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Frequently Asked Questions about 嘛

What does 嘛 (ma) mean in Chinese?

How do you write 嘛 stroke by stroke?

What's the difference between 嘛 and 㕡?

What mistakes do learners make writing 嘛?

What common words use 嘛?

How to Write 嘛 (ma)