麽 meaning and stroke order
Interrogative particle
How to write 麽, 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 麽
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- tiny
- insignificant
How 麽 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character.
么 gives the meaning and 麻 hints at the sound.
Radical: 麻 (hemp), shared by 5 characters on this site.
How to remember 麽
麽 is 麻 (má) sitting over 么 (me). 麻 gives the sound, and 么 gives the meaning, so think of a question that sounds like "ma" and ends in "me".
麽 is a variant form of 么, used in question words like 什麽 (shénme, what) and 怎麽 (zěnme, how). In mainland simplified writing you will usually see 么 instead, but 麽 appears in older texts and some printed material. Example: 你在做什麽？ (Nǐ zài zuò shénme?) What are you doing?
Common mistake: Learners often read 麽 as má because of the 麻 on top, but in words like 什麽 it is the neutral tone me. Also do not mix it up with 嗎 or 吗 (ma), the yes or no question particle.
Characters that contain 麽
Learning 麽 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 麽
How many strokes are in 麽?
麽 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 麽 mean?
麽 (me) means interrogative particle.
How do you pronounce 麽?
麽 is pronounced me, in the neutral tone (short and light).
What is the radical of 麽?
The radical of 麽 is 麻, which carries the idea of "hemp". Dictionaries list 麽 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 麽?
The traditional form of 麽 is 麼. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 麽 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 麽 the same as 么?
In words like 什麽 and 怎麽 they mean the same thing and are read the same way, me. 么 is the standard simplified form, and 麽 is a variant you will meet in some texts.
What does 麽 mean when read mó?
Read mó, it means tiny or insignificant. This sense is rare and mostly appears in literary or classical writing, not everyday speech.