Writing
吗 (ma) — how to say "question particle" in Chinese
吗
Question particle
modal particle
How to use it
Goes at the end of the sentence and sets its tone.
你忙吗？
nǐ máng ma
Are you busy?
Radicals / Keys
口
Mouth
#30 · kǒu · 3 strokes
Examples
你想去北京看电影吗？我想去。
Do you want to go to Beijing to watch a movie? I want to.
你好吗
How are you?
Mnemonic
[ma-] Mario stumbles upon a mysterious archway shaped like 吗, the question mark ❓, in the Mushroom Kingdom. Curious, he exclaims, "What could this mean?" and starts asking everyone he meets, turning every step into a playful inquiry adventure.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say "question particle" in Chinese?
"question particle" in Chinese is 吗 (ma).
What does 吗 mean in English?
吗 (ma) means "Question particle".
How is 吗 pronounced?
It is pronounced ma (written as ma). You can listen to the pronunciation on this page.
How do you write "question particle" in Chinese characters?
It is written 吗 and has 6 strokes. The Writing section above animates the stroke order and lets you trace it.
What HSK level is 吗?
吗 belongs to the HSK 1 vocabulary list.
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Grammar with 吗
吗 — yes-no questions
Statement + 吗 (ma)？
了吗 — questions with 了吗
Verb + 了 (le) + 吗 (ma)？
可以 — permission, may
可以 (kěyǐ) + Verb
不是……吗？ — rhetorical questions
不 (bù) 是 (shì)…… 吗 (ma)？
吗 — tag questions
⋯⋯是 (shì)吗 (ma) / 对 (duì)吗 (ma) / 好 (hǎo)吗 (ma)?
有 — comparable degree
Noun 1 + 有 (yǒu) + Noun 2 + Adj. + 吗 (ma)?