吗
吗 (ma) means “question particle”. It is made of 口 + 马 and has 6 strokes, and is an HSK 1 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
Break 吗 into its parts
What 吗 is made of
- 口 kǒu — mouth
- 冂 — frame
- 丨 — vertical stroke
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 冂 — frame
- 马 mǎ — horse
- 一 — horizontal stroke
Origin hint: 口 gives the meaning, 马 gives the sound. (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
吗 stroke order
Example sentences
你是学生吗？Nǐ shì xuéshēng ma?Are you a student?
你喜欢喝茶吗？Nǐ xǐhuan hē chá ma?Do you like tea?
Words with 吗
Also built with 口
- 中zhōngmiddle
- 享xiǎngto share
- 京jīngcapital
- 亮liàngbright
- 兄xiōngelder brother
- 加jiāto add
- 占zhànto occupy
- 古gǔancient
- 句jùmeasure word for sentences
- 另lìnganother
- 叨dāotalkative
- 只zhǐonly
Quick facts
| Pinyin | ma |
|---|---|
| Meaning | question particle |
| Strokes | 6 |
| Radical | 口 (mouth, #30) |
| Pattern | Left–right |
| HSK | HSK 1 (exam 2025) · HSK 1 (2021) · Old HSK 1 |
Questions about 吗
What does 吗 mean?
吗 (ma) means “question particle”.
How many strokes does 吗 have?
吗 has 6 strokes.
What is the radical of 吗?
The radical of 吗 is 口 (kǒu, “mouth”), Kangxi radical number 30.
What parts make up 吗?
吗 is made of 口 (mouth) and 马 (horse).
Which HSK level is 吗?
吗 is in HSK 1 (exam 2025) and HSK 1 (2021) and Old HSK 1.
Learn 吗 with its group
It is part of HSK 1 (2021) · Group 2: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.