麼 meaning and stroke order
Interrogative particle
How to write 麼, 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.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
Meaning of 麼
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
- tiny
- insignificant
How 麼 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. One.
幺 gives the meaning and 麻 hints at the sound.
Radical: 麻 (hemp), shared by 5 characters on this site.
How to remember 麼
麼 combines 麻 (má), which gives the sound, with 幺 (yāo), a small twisted thread meaning "tiny" or "one." Picture a tiny thread of sound tacked onto a word, like the little "me" at the end of 什麼 (shénme).
麼 is the traditional form of 么, and it almost never appears alone. It attaches to other characters to build question words and degree words such as 什麼 (shénme), 怎麼 (zěnme), 這麼 (zhème) and 那麼 (nàme). Example: 你在做什麼？(Nǐ zài zuò shénme?) What are you doing?
Common mistake: In 什麼, 這麼 and 怎麼, learners often say a full tone on 麼. It should be a light neutral tone (me), so 什麼 sounds like shén-me, not shén-mó. Also do not confuse 麼 with 嗎 (ma), the yes/no question particle. 你好嗎 is correct, not 你好麼 in standard modern writing.
Common words with 麼
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 什麼 | shénme | what?; something; anything | HSK 1 |
| 怎麼 | zěnme | how?; what? | HSK 1 |
| 幹什麼 | gàn shénme | what are you doing?; what's he up to? | HSK 1 |
| 沒什麼 | méi shénme | it doesn't matter; it's nothing; never mind; think nothing of it; it's my pleasure; you're | HSK 1 |
| 為什麼 | wèi shénme | why?; for what reason? | HSK 2 |
| 這麼 | zhème | so much; this much | HSK 2 |
| 那麼 | nàme | like that; in that way; to that extent; (before a number) ... or so; about ... | HSK 2 |
| 怎麼樣 | zěnmeyàng | how?; how about? | HSK 2 |
| 怎麼辦 | zěnme bàn | what's to be done | HSK 2 |
| 多麼 | duōme | how (wonderful etc); what (a great idea etc) | HSK 2 |
| 什麼樣 | shénmeyàng | what kind?; what sort? | HSK 2 |
| 要麼 | yàome | or; either one or the other | HSK 6 |
| 不怎麼 | bùzěnme | not very; not particularly | HSK 6 |
| 不怎麼樣 | bùzěnmeyàng | not up to much; very indifferent | HSK 6 |
Questions about 麼
How many strokes are in 麼?
麼 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 麼 mean?
麼 (me) means interrogative particle. A common word with it is 什么 (shénme), meaning "what?; something; anything".
How do you pronounce 麼?
麼 is pronounced me, in the neutral tone (short and light).
What is the radical of 麼?
The radical of 麼 is 麻, which carries the idea of "hemp". Dictionaries list 麼 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 麼?
麼 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 么 and 麽, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 麼 the same as 么?
Yes. 麼 is the traditional form used in Taiwan and Hong Kong, and 么 is the simplified form used in mainland China. They are pronounced and used the same way in words like 什麼/什么.
Can 麼 be pronounced mó?
Yes, in the literary sense "tiny, insignificant," 麼 is read mó, as in 幺麼 (yāomó), meaning petty or insignificant. This reading is rare and mostly found in written or classical Chinese.