ParticlesHSK 4
Expressing the self-evident with 嘛
嘛 (ma) is a sentence-final particle that signals the statement is obvious or self-evident, like saying 'it's obvious that' or 'you know.' Use it to make gentle suggestions, express that something is universally acknowledged, or to show that the situation speaks for itself. The most common pitfall is mixing it up with the question particle 吗 (ma) — 嘛 is always declarative and never forms a question.
Structure
Statement + 嘛
adds a tone of obviousness or self-evidence
Examples
- 你妹妹很漂亮嘛。Nǐ mèimei hěn piàoliang ma .Your sister is pretty.
- 他挺有钱的嘛。Tā tǐng yǒuqián de ma .He is pretty rich.
- 你跟他很熟嘛。Nǐ gēn tā hěn shú ma .You two know each other well.
- 开慢点，安全第一嘛。Kāi màn diǎn, ānquán dì-yī ma .Drive slowly. Safety first.
- 这个外国人很了解中国文化嘛。Zhège wàiguórén hěn liǎojiě Zhōngguó wénhuà ma .This foreigner knows a lot about Chinese culture.