骂 meaning and stroke order
To scold; to abuse; to curse
How to write 骂, stroke by stroke
9 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 骂
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to scold
- to abuse
- to curse
- variant of 罵|骂[ma4]
How 骂 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Mouth.
口 gives the meaning and 马 hints at the sound.
Radical: 口 (mouth), shared by 428 characters on this site.
How to remember 骂
Two mouths 口口 sit on top of a horse 马 (mǎ). Picture two loud mouths yelling at a horse, and you have 骂 (mà), to scold, with 马 giving the sound.
骂 is a common verb for scolding or cursing someone, often with the person as the object, as in 骂人 (màrén). To say you got scolded, use 挨骂 (áimà) or a 被 sentence. Example: 他被老板骂了。(Tā bèi lǎobǎn mà le.) He got scolded by his boss.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 骂 (mà) with 吗 (ma) and 妈 (mā), since all three use 马 for sound. Remember that 吗 has one 口 on the side, while 骂 has two 口 on top and a fourth tone.
Common words with 骂
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
骂 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 骂
How many strokes are in 骂?
骂 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 骂 mean?
骂 (mà) means to scold; to abuse; to curse. A common word with it is 骂人 (màrén), meaning "to swear or curse (at people); to scold or yell at someone".
How do you pronounce 骂?
骂 is pronounced mà, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 骂?
The radical of 骂 is 口, which carries the idea of "mouth". Dictionaries list 骂 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 骂?
The traditional form of 骂 is 罵 and 駡. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 骂 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 骂 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 骂 is part of the HSK 5 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 骂 and 批评?
批评 (pīpíng) means to criticize and sounds calm and neutral, like a teacher pointing out errors. 骂 is more emotional and harsh, and it can include yelling or swear words.
How do you say someone is swearing in Chinese?
You can say 他在骂人 (tā zài màrén), meaning he is cursing at people. A swear word itself is often called 脏话 (zānghuà), so 说脏话 (shuō zānghuà) means to use bad language.