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嘛 (ma) — (modal particle) marks a statement as obvious or self-evident, used in explanations and gentle suggestions

Definition

嘛 (ma) is a sentence-final particle that softens a statement, making it sound obvious or gently persuasive. Use it in casual speech to coax or remind, not in formal writing.

particle
(modal particle) marks a statement as obvious or self-evidentused in explanations and gentle suggestions
Easily confused

Examples

  • 嘛，。
    Jīn tiān shì xīng qī yī ma, yào shàng bān.
    Today is Monday, so of course we have to go to work.
  • 嘛。
    Nǐ jué de lèi jiù xiū xi ma.
    If you feel tired, just rest—you should know that's fine.
  • 嘛，。
    Tā bù dǒng zhōng wén ma, nǐ màn màn shuō.
    He doesn't understand Chinese, you see, so speak slowly.

Grammar

Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6500 Most Frequent Chinese WordsHSK 2.0 Level 61000 Most Frequent Chinese Words2000 Most Frequent Chinese Words3000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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