么 meaning and stroke order
Interrogative particle
How to write 么, stroke by stroke
3 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
Meaning of 么
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- exclamatory final particle
- interrogative final particle
- suffix, used to form interrogative 什麼|什么[shen2 me5], what?, indefinite 這麼|这么[zhe4 me5] thus, etc
- variant of 麼|么[me5]
How 么 is built
Components of the character.
Radical: 丿 (slash), shared by 19 characters on this site.
How to remember 么
么 is a small slanted stroke 丿 sitting on top of 厶. Picture a tiny question hook 丿 perched on a little shape, a small mark you tack onto words like 什 to turn them into questions such as 什么 (shénme), what.
么 almost never stands alone. It works as a neutral-tone suffix in very common words like 什么 (shénme), 怎么 (zěnme), 这么 (zhème) and 那么 (nàme). Example: 你叫什么名字？ (Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?) What is your name?
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 么 (me) with 吗 (ma), the yes/no question particle. Say 你好吗？ (Nǐ hǎo ma?) for a yes/no question, but 你做什么？ (Nǐ zuò shénme?) for a what question, and never put 吗 at the end of a sentence that already has 什么.
Common words with 么
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 什么 | shénme | what?; something; anything | HSK 1 |
| 怎么 | zěnme | how?; what? | HSK 1 |
| 干什么 | gàn shénme | what are you doing?; what's he up to? | HSK 1 |
| 没什么 | méi shénme | it doesn't matter; it's nothing; never mind; think nothing of it; it's my pleasure; you're | HSK 1 |
| 为什么 | wèi shénme | why?; for what reason? | HSK 2 |
| 这么 | zhème | so much; this much | HSK 2 |
| 那么 | nàme | like that; in that way; to that extent; (before a number) ... or so; about ... | HSK 2 |
| 怎么样 | zěnmeyàng | how?; how about? | HSK 2 |
| 怎么办 | zěnme bàn | what's to be done | HSK 2 |
| 多么 | duōme | how (wonderful etc); what (a great idea etc) | HSK 2 |
| 什么样 | shénmeyàng | what kind?; what sort? | HSK 2 |
| 要么 | yàome | or; either one or the other | HSK 6 |
| 不怎么 | bùzěnme | not very; not particularly | HSK 6 |
| 不怎么样 | bùzěnmeyàng | not up to much; very indifferent | HSK 6 |
么 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 么
Learning 么 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 么
How many strokes are in 么?
么 is written with 3 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 么 mean?
么 (me) means interrogative particle. A common word with it is 什么 (shénme), meaning "what?; something; anything".
How do you pronounce 么?
么 is pronounced me, in the neutral tone (short and light).
What is the radical of 么?
The radical of 么 is 丿, which carries the idea of "slash". Dictionaries list 么 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 么?
The traditional form of 么 is 麼 and 麽. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 么 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 么 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 么 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
What tone is 么 pronounced with?
In words like 什么 and 怎么 it is read in the neutral tone, so it sounds light and short: me. Dictionaries also list readings má and ma, but for everyday words you will almost always say the light me.
What is the difference between 这么 and 那么?
这么 (zhème) means so or this way, pointing to something near or current. 那么 (nàme) means so or that way, pointing to something farther away, and it can also mean then or in that case at the start of a sentence, as in 那么，我们走吧 (Nàme, wǒmen zǒu ba), Well then, let's go.