瑪 meaning and stroke order
Agate, cornelian
How to write 瑪, stroke by stroke
14 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 瑪
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- used in 瑪瑙|玛瑙[ma3 nao3]
How 瑪 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Jade.
王 gives the meaning and 馬 hints at the sound.
Radical: 王 (king), shared by 104 characters on this site.
How to remember 瑪
瑪 combines 王, which here stands for jade (玉), with 馬 (mǎ, horse), which gives the sound. Picture a horse carved from a smooth, striped jade-like stone: agate.
瑪 rarely stands alone. It mainly appears in 瑪瑙 (mǎnǎo, agate) and as a sound in foreign names and loanwords, such as 瑪格麗特 (Mǎgélìtè, Margaret or margarita) and 瑪卡 (mǎkǎ, maca). Example: 這是一條瑪瑙手鍊。(Zhè shì yī tiáo mǎnǎo shǒuliàn.) This is an agate bracelet.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write 碼 (mǎ, code or number) with the stone radical 石 instead of 瑪 with 王. Remember that agate is a gem, so it takes the jade side 王, while 碼 takes 石.
Common words with 瑪
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 瑪格麗特 | Mǎgélìtè | margarita (cocktail) | |
| 尼瑪 | Nímǎ | (Internet slang) alternative for 你媽|你妈[ni3 ma1]; (transcription from Tibetan) the sun | |
| 瑪德琳 | Mǎdélín | madeleine (French cake) | |
| 伽瑪 | gāmǎ | variant of 伽馬|伽马[ga1 ma3] | |
| 瑪卡 | mǎkǎ | maca (Lepidium meyenii) |
Questions about 瑪
How many strokes are in 瑪?
瑪 is written with 14 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 瑪 mean?
瑪 (mǎ) means agate, cornelian. A common word with it is 玛格丽特 (Mǎgélìtè), meaning "margarita (cocktail)".
How do you pronounce 瑪?
瑪 is pronounced mǎ, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 瑪?
The radical of 瑪 is 王, which carries the idea of "king". Dictionaries list 瑪 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 瑪?
瑪 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 玛, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Why is 瑪 used so often in foreign names?
Because it is read mǎ, it is a handy sound for transcribing syllables like 'ma' or 'mar'. That is why you see it in names like 瑪麗 (Mǎlì, Mary) and in loanwords like 瑪德琳 (Mǎdélín, madeleine).
What does 尼瑪 mean online?
In internet slang 尼瑪 (nímǎ) is a softened stand-in for 你媽 (nǐ mā), a rude expression, so use it carefully. In Tibetan transcription, 尼瑪 is also a common name meaning the sun.