麻 meaning and stroke order
Generic name for hemp, flax etc; hemp or flax fiber for textile materials; sesame
How to write 麻, stroke by stroke
11 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 麻
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- generic name for hemp, flax etc
- hemp or flax fiber for textile materials
- sesame
- (of materials) rough or coarse
- pocked
- pitted
How 麻 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Hemp plants 林 growing in a greenhouse 广.
How to remember 麻
Picture hemp plants 林 growing under a shelter roof 广. Hemp fiber was rough and scratchy, and some kinds of hemp make you numb, which links to the meanings "coarse" and "numb".
麻 rarely stands alone in modern speech. It mostly appears in words like 麻烦 (máfan, trouble), 麻辣 (málà, hot and numbing) and 芝麻 (zhīma, sesame). Example: 麻烦你帮我一下。(Máfan nǐ bāng wǒ yíxià.) Could I trouble you to help me for a moment?
Common mistake: Learners often write the inside as 木木 without care, or confuse 麻 with 磨 (mó, to grind) and 摩 (mó, to rub), which both contain 麻 plus another part. Also note that in 麻烦 (máfan) and 芝麻 (zhīma) the second syllable is usually said in the neutral tone.
Common words with 麻
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 麻烦 | máfan | trouble; inconvenience; inconvenient; troublesome; annoying | HSK 3 |
| 麻醉 | mázuì | anesthesia; to anesthetize; (fig.) to corrupt (sb's mind); to enervate; to numb the mind ( | HSK 7-9 |
| 麻木 | mámù | numb; insensitive | HSK 7-9 |
| 麻痹 | mábì | paralysis; palsy | HSK 7-9 |
| 芝麻 | zhīma | sesame (seed) | HSK 7-9 |
| 麻将 | májiàng | mahjong | HSK 7-9 |
| 麻辣 | málà | hot and numbing | HSK 7-9 |
| 大麻 | dàmá | hemp (Cannabis sativa); cannabis | |
| 惹麻烦 | rěmáfan | to create difficulties; to be troublesome; to invite trouble | |
| 添麻烦 | tiānmáfan | to cause trouble for sb; to inconvenience | |
| 找麻烦 | zhǎomáfan | to look for trouble | |
| 麻雀 | máquè | sparrow; (dialect) mahjong | |
| 麻醉剂 | mázuìjì | an anesthetic; (fig.) a narcotic | |
| 肉麻 | ròumá | sickening; corny |
麻 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 麻
Learning 麻 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 麻
How many strokes are in 麻?
麻 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 麻 mean?
麻 (má) means generic name for hemp, flax etc; hemp or flax fiber for textile materials; sesame. A common word with it is 麻烦 (máfan), meaning "trouble; inconvenience; inconvenient; troublesome; annoying".
How do you pronounce 麻?
麻 is pronounced má, in the second tone (rising).
What is the traditional form of 麻?
The traditional form of 麻 is 蔴. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 麻 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 麻 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 麻 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
Why does 麻辣 food make your mouth feel numb?
The 麻 in 麻辣 (málà) means "numbing" and comes from Sichuan pepper, which leaves a tingling feeling. 辣 (là) is the chili heat, so 麻辣 describes both sensations together.
How do I say my leg fell asleep in Chinese?
You can say 我的腿麻了 (wǒ de tuǐ má le). Here 麻 works as an adjective meaning numb or tingling, a very common everyday use.