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嘛. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
嘛, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
嘛 in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
嘛 you have here. The definition of the word
嘛 will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
嘛, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Translingual
Han character
嘛 (Kangxi radical 30, 口+11, 14 strokes, cangjie input 口戈木木 (RIDD) or 口戈十金 (RIJC), four-corner 60094, composition ⿰口麻)
References
- Kangxi Dictionary: not present, would follow page 206, character 20
- Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 4230
- Dae Jaweon: page 429, character 19
- Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 678, character 7
- Unihan data for U+561B
Chinese
Etymology 1
Pronunciation
Definitions
嘛
- (suggests that the preceding is obvious, sometimes impatient in tone): Of course!
- 這樣才對嘛！／这样才对嘛！ ― Zhèyàng cái duì ma! ― That's how it should be!
- Signals a pause in a sentence, sometimes used to get the listener's attention.
- 你嘛，不必去。 ― Nǐ ma, bùbì qù. ― You, don't need to go.
- Used at the end of an imperative or request to express expectation or dissuasion.
- 別著急嘛。／别着急嘛。 ― Bié zhāojí ma. ― Don't worry.
Descendants
Etymology 2
Pronunciation
Definitions
嘛
- (dialectal) what
Synonyms
Dialectal synonyms of
什麼 (“what”)
| Variety
|
Location
|
Words
|
| Classical Chinese
|
何
|
| Formal (Written Standard Chinese)
|
什麼
|
| Mandarin
|
Beijing
|
什麼, 嗎兒
|
| Taiwan
|
什麼
|
| Tianjin
|
嗎
|
| Chengde
|
什麼
|
| Tangshan
|
啥
|
| Cangzhou
|
什麼, 嗎
|
| Baoding
|
什麼
|
| Shijiazhuang
|
啥
|
| Chifeng
|
啥
|
| Hulunbuir (Hailar)
|
什麼, 啥
|
| Heihe
|
什麼, 啥
|
| Qiqihar
|
什麼, 啥
|
| Harbin
|
什麼, 啥
|
| Jiamusi
|
什麼, 啥
|
| Baicheng
|
啥
|
| Changchun
|
啥
|
| Tonghua
|
啥
|
| Shenyang
|
什麼, 啥
|
| Dandong
|
什麼, 啥
|
| Jinzhou
|
什麼, 啥
|
| Dalian
|
什麼
|
| Yantai
|
什麼
|
| Yantai (Muping)
|
麼, 麼個
|
| Qingdao
|
什麼
|
| Lijin
|
啥, 啥稿兒
|
| Weifang (Weicheng)
|
啥, 什麼
|
| Weifang (Fangzi)
|
什麼
|
| Weifang (Hanting)
|
什麼
|
| Changyi
|
什麼
|
| Gaomi
|
什麼
|
| Zhucheng
|
什麼
|
| Anqiu
|
什麼
|
| Changle
|
啥, 什麼
|
| Linqu
|
什麼
|
| Qingzhou
|
啥, 什麼嘎
|
| Shouguang
|
啥嘎
|
| Rizhao
|
什麼
|
| Wulian
|
什麼
|
| Jinan
|
麼兒, 麼, 什麼, 麼個
|
| Jining
|
什麼
|
| Luoyang
|
啥
|
| Wanrong
|
色
|
| Shangqiu
|
啥
|
| Yuanyang
|
什麼
|
| Zhengzhou
|
啥
|
| Lingbao
|
啥兒
|
| Xinyang
|
啥
|
| Baihe
|
啥
|
| Hanzhong
|
啥子
|
| Xi'an
|
什麼, 啥
|
| Baoji
|
啥, 咋麼
|
| Yinchuan
|
什麼, 啥
|
| Tianshui
|
啥
|
| Lanzhou
|
什麼, 啥
|
| Dunhuang
|
啥
|
| Xining
|
啥
|
| Hami
|
什麼, 啥
|
| Ürümqi
|
啥
|
| Wuhan
|
什麼, 麼事
|
| Yichang
|
什麼兒
|
| Xiangyang
|
什麼, 啥子
|
| Tianmen
|
什麼, 什麼的
|
| Hong'an
|
什麼, 麼事, 麼東西
|
| Chengdu
|
啥子
|
| Nanchong
|
啥, 啥子
|
| Dazhou
|
啥子
|
| Hanyuan
|
啥, 啥子
|
| Xichang
|
啥子
|
| Zigong
|
啥子
|
| Chongqing
|
啥子
|
| Lhasa
|
啥子
|
| Guiyang
|
哪樣
|
| Zunyi
|
啷個, 啥子
|
| Bijie
|
哪樣, 啷子
|
| Liping
|
甚子
|
| Zhaotong
|
什麼, 啥子
|
| Dali
|
咋個
|
| Kunming
|
什麼, 哪樣
|
| Mengzi
|
哪樣
|
| Guilin
|
什麼
|
| Guilin (Lingui)
|
什麼
|
| Guanyang
|
什麼
|
| Liuzhou
|
什麼
|
| Liuzhou (Luorong)
|
什麼
|
| Jishou
|
什麼
|
| Changde
|
麼得
|
| Xiangtan (Jiangnan Industries Group koine)
|
麼子
|
| Anqing
|
什麼, 麼東西
|
| Xuzhou
|
什麼, 啥, 啥子
|
| Fuyang
|
什麼, 啥
|
| Wuhu
|
什麼
|
| Yangzhou
|
什麼
|
| Lianyungang
|
什麼
|
| Lianshui
|
什麼
|
| Nanjing
|
什麼
|
| Hefei
|
什麼, 哄, 哄個
|
| Nantong
|
甚呢
|
| Malaysia
|
什麼
|
| Singapore
|
什麼
|
| Sokuluk (Gansu Dungan)
|
啥
|
| Dagudi (Maliba)
|
什麼
|
| Reshuitang (Longling)
|
什麼
|
| Mae Salong (Lancang)
|
哪樣, 什麼
|
| Mae Sai (Tengchong)
|
什麼
|
| Cantonese
|
Guangzhou
|
乜嘢, 咩嘢, 乜, 咩
|
| Hong Kong
|
乜嘢, 咩嘢, 乜, 咩
|
| Hong Kong (San Tin Weitou)
|
咩嘢
|
| Hong Kong (Kam Tin Weitou)
|
乜嘢
|
| Hong Kong (Ting Kok)
|
咩嘢
|
| Hong Kong (Tung Ping Chau)
|
咩嘢
|
| Macau
|
乜嘢
|
| Guangzhou (Panyu)
|
乜嘢
|
| Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu)
|
乜嘢
|
| Guangzhou (Conghua)
|
乜嘢
|
| Guangzhou (Zengcheng)
|
乜嘢
|
| Foshan
|
乜嘢
|
| Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai)
|
乜嘢
|
| Foshan (Shunde)
|
乜嘢
|
| Foshan (Sanshui)
|
乜嘢
|
| Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming)
|
乜嘢
|
| Zhongshan (Shiqi)
|
乜嘢
|
| Zhuhai (Qianshan)
|
乜嘢
|
| Zhuhai (Doumen, Shangheng Tanka)
|
乜
|
| Zhuhai (Doumen)
|
乜
|
| Jiangmen (Baisha)
|
乜嘢
|
| Jiangmen (Xinhui)
|
乜
|
| Taishan
|
乜, 乜嘢
|
| Taishan (Guanghai)
|
乜, 乜嘎
|
| Kaiping (Chikan)
|
乜, 乜啊, 乜嘢
|
| Enping (Niujiang)
|
乜嘢
|
| Heshan (Yayao)
|
乜嘢
|
| Dongguan
|
乜嘢, 乜
|
| Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an)
|
乜嘢
|
| Shenzhen (Dapeng)
|
乜嘢, 乜
|
| Yangjiang
|
乜, 乜嘢
|
| Wuzhou
|
乜嘢
|
| Hepu (Lianzhou)
|
物底
|
| Guiping
|
乜嘢
|
| Mengshan (Xihe)
|
什麼
|
| Beiliu (Tangliao)
|
乜嘢
|
| Baise
|
乜嘢
|
| Qinzhou
|
乜嘢, 乜
|
| Qinzhou (Xiniujiao)
|
乜底
|
| Beihai
|
乜嘢
|
| Beihai (Nankang)
|
乜嘢
|
| Beihai (Yingpan)
|
乜底
|
| Beihai (Qiaogang - Cô Tô)
|
乜嘢
|
| Beihai (Qiaogang - Cát Bà)
|
乜嘢
|
| Hengzhou
|
哪門
|
| Fangchenggang (Fangcheng)
|
乜嘢
|
| Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)
|
乜嘢, 咩
|
| Penang (Guangfu)
|
乜嘢, 咩
|
| Singapore (Guangfu)
|
乜嘢, 咩, 乜
|
| Ho Chi Minh City (Guangfu)
|
乜嘢
|
| Móng Cái
|
乜嘢
|
| Yangon (Taishan)
|
乜
|
| Gan
|
Nanchang
|
什哩
|
| Lichuan
|
什仔
|
| Pingxiang
|
咋個
|
| Hakka
|
Meixian
|
麼個
|
| Xingning
|
麼個
|
| Dabu (Gaobei)
|
麼個
|
| Fengshun (Tangkeng)
|
麼個
|
| Fengshun (Fengliang)
|
麼個
|
| Fengshun (Pantian)
|
麼個
|
| Huizhou (Huicheng Bendihua)
|
乜嘢
|
| Huiyang
|
麼個
|
| Huidong (Daling)
|
麼個
|
| Dongguan (Qingxi)
|
麼個
|
| Shenzhen (Shatoujiao)
|
麼個
|
| Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui)
|
乜嘢
|
| Wuhua (Huacheng)
|
麼個
|
| Wengyuan
|
麼個
|
| Nanxiong (Zhuji)
|
什麼
|
| Shaoguan (Qujiang)
|
麼個
|
| Lianshan (Xiaosanjiang)
|
麼個
|
| Liannan
|
麼個
|
| Conghua (Lütian)
|
麼個
|
| Jiexi
|
麼個
|
| Luhe
|
麼個
|
| Changting
|
麼個, 什西哩, 什西
|
| Wuping
|
麼個, 麼事
|
| Wuping (Pingyu)
|
麼個
|
| Liancheng
|
麼個, 什麼
|
| Ninghua
|
什麼
|
| Yudu
|
子個
|
| Ruijin
|
咩, 唔幾
|
| Shicheng
|
什麼
|
| Shangyou (Shexi)
|
哪個, 哪項, 個哪, 哪
|
| Tonggu (Sandu)
|
麼個
|
| Ganzhou (Panlong)
|
什麼
|
| Dayu
|
什麼
|
| Taoyuan
|
麼個
|
| Miaoli (N. Sixian)
|
麼個
|
| Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)
|
麼個
|
| Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)
|
麼個
|
| Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)
|
麼個
|
| Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)
|
麼個
|
| Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)
|
麼個
|
| Nantou (Guoxing; Lufeng)
|
麼個
|
| Hong Kong
|
麼個
|
| Mengshan (Xihe)
|
麼個
|
| Luchuan
|
麼個
|
| Senai (Huiyang)
|
麼個
|
| Kuching (Hepo)
|
麼個
|
| Singkawang
|
麼個
|
| Pontianak (Meixian)
|
麼個
|
| Singapore (Dabu)
|
麼個
|
| Bangkok (Meixian)
|
麼個
|
| Bangkok (Fengshun)
|
麼個
|
| Huizhou
|
Jixi
|
麼仂
|
| Shexian
|
麼二
|
| Jin
|
Taiyuan
|
甚
|
| Yangyuan
|
什麼, 啥, 咋, 甚
|
| Datong
|
啥
|
| Xinzhou
|
甚
|
| Lishi
|
甚
|
| Linfen
|
啥
|
| Changzhi
|
什麼
|
| Linhe
|
什麼, 甚
|
| Jining
|
甚
|
| Hohhot
|
甚
|
| Erenhot
|
什麼, 甚
|
| Pingshan
|
什麼兒
|
| Zhangjiakou
|
什麼
|
| Handan
|
什麼, 啥
|
| Linzhou
|
啥
|
| Suide
|
什麼, 甚
|
| Jiuxing Yumin
|
Lanxi
|
啥哩
|
| Northern Min
|
Jian'ou
|
孰事, 孰麼, 孰麼事
|
| Jian'ou (Dikou)
|
橘二, 橘二事
|
| Songxi
|
什麼事
|
| Jianyang
|
孰事
|
| Wuyishan
|
什麼事
|
| Pucheng (Shibei)
|
孰麼, 孰, 孰麼事, 孰事, 孰麼契, 孰契
|
| Eastern Min
|
Fuzhou
|
什乇, 什名, 什乇名, 面乇名
|
| Changle
|
什乇
|
| Fuqing
|
什乇, 乜乇
|
| Pingtan
|
什乇
|
| Yongtai
|
哪乇
|
| Gutian
|
乇, 什乇
|
| Fu'an
|
乜乇
|
| Ningde
|
哪乇
|
| Shouning
|
呢乇
|
| Zhouning
|
乜乇
|
| Fuding
|
哪乇
|
| Matsu
|
什乇
|
| Singapore (Fuqing)
|
什乇
|
| Southern Min
|
Xiamen
|
什物, 啥物, 啥貨
|
| Xiamen (Tong'an)
|
什物
|
| Quanzhou
|
啥物, 乜
|
| Jinjiang
|
啥物
|
| Nan'an
|
什物
|
| Shishi
|
啥物
|
| Hui'an
|
什物
|
| Anxi
|
啥物
|
| Yongchun
|
啥物
|
| Dehua
|
啥物
|
| Zhangzhou
|
哪貨仔, 哪貨, 哪仔, 哪物仔, 哪物, 什物, 啥物, 啥貨, 啥物仔, 啥貨仔
|
| Zhangzhou (Longhai)
|
啥物, 啥
|
| Zhangzhou (Changtai)
|
啥
|
| Hua'an
|
什物
|
| Nanjing
|
哪物
|
| Pinghe
|
啥物
|
| Zhangpu
|
啥貨
|
| Yunxiao
|
什物仔
|
| Zhao'an
|
什物
|
| Dongshan
|
什物
|
| Taipei
|
啥貨, 啥物, 啥
|
| Taipei (Wanhua)
|
啥物
|
| New Taipei (Sanxia)
|
啥
|
| Kaohsiung
|
啥, 啥貨, 啥物
|
| Kaohsiung (Cijin)
|
啥物, 啥
|
| Kaohsiung (Hongmaogang, Siaogang)
|
啥物, 啥
|
| Kaohsiung (Dalinpu, Siaogang)
|
啥物, 啥
|
| Yilan
|
啥貨, 啥物貨
|
| Changhua (Lukang)
|
啥物, 啥貨
|
| Taichung
|
啥, 啥貨
|
| Taichung (Wuqi)
|
啥物
|
| Tainan
|
啥物, 啥貨
|
| Taitung
|
啥物
|
| Hsinchu
|
啥, 啥物
|
| Kinmen
|
啥貨, 啥物, 什物, 物代
|
| Penghu (Magong)
|
啥貨, 物代
|
| Penang (Hokkien)
|
何物
|
| Singapore (Hokkien)
|
什物
|
| Manila (Hokkien)
|
啥物
|
| Medan (Hokkien)
|
何物
|
| Longyan
|
什物
|
| Datian
|
啥貨, 什物
|
| Chaozhou
|
乜個, 乜
|
| Shantou
|
乜個, 乜
|
| Shantou (Chenghai)
|
乜個
|
| Shantou (Chaoyang)
|
乜個
|
| Jieyang
|
乜個, 乜, 是乜
|
| Haifeng
|
乜個, 乜
|
| Bangkok (Teochew)
|
乜個
|
| Phnom Penh (Teochew)
|
乜個
|
| Ho Chi Minh City (Teochew)
|
乜個
|
| Johor Bahru (Teochew)
|
乜個
|
| Singapore (Teochew)
|
乜個, 什乜, 底個
|
| Batam (Teochew)
|
乜個, 什乜, 底個
|
| Pontianak (Teochew)
|
乜個
|
| Leizhou
|
乜
|
| Wenchang
|
乜
|
| Haikou
|
乜, 個乜
|
| Qionghai
|
乜
|
| Singapore (Hainanese)
|
乜
|
| Central Min
|
Yong'an
|
啥貨
|
| Sanyuan
|
啥貨
|
| Shaxian
|
啥貨
|
| Zhongshan Min
|
Sanxiang
|
乜儗
|
| Southern Pinghua
|
Nanning (Tingzi)
|
門, 哪門
|
| Binyang (Xinqiao)
|
哪門
|
| Waxiang
|
Guzhang (Gaofeng)
|
什個
|
| Luxi (Lijiatian)
|
什家
|
| Wu
|
Shanghai
|
啥, 啥個, 啥物事
|
| Shanghai (Chongming)
|
何
|
| Suzhou
|
啥, 啥個, 啥物事
|
| Wuxi
|
啥, 啥個, 啥物事, 啥物
|
| Danyang
|
點高
|
| Hangzhou
|
啥
|
| Ningbo
|
啥, 啥西
|
| Wenzhou
|
何乜
|
| Jinhua
|
待, 淡
|
| Xiang
|
Changsha
|
麼子
|
| Loudi
|
麼子
|
| Shuangfeng
|
麼子
|
| Quanzhou
|
什麼
|
| Guanyang (Wenshi)
|
啥
|
Compounds
Etymology 3
Pronunciation
Definitions
嘛
- Only used in 喇嘛 (lǎma).
Compounds
Etymology 4
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Pronunciation
Definitions
嘛
- (Southern Min) also
- 無魚蝦嘛好／无鱼虾嘛好 [Hokkien] ― bô hî hê mā hó [Pe̍h-ōe-jī] ― If there are no fish, prawns are also good.
Synonyms
Dialectal synonyms of
也 (“also, too”)
| Variety
|
Location
|
Words
|
| Classical Chinese
|
亦
|
| Formal (Written Standard Chinese)
|
也
|
| Mandarin
|
Beijing
|
也
|
| Taiwan
|
也
|
| Jinan
|
也
|
| Xi'an
|
也
|
| Wuhan
|
也
|
| Chengdu
|
也
|
| Guilin
|
也
|
| Yangzhou
|
也
|
| Hefei
|
也
|
| Malaysia
|
也
|
| Singapore
|
也
|
| Cantonese
|
Guangzhou
|
都, 亦
|
| Hong Kong
|
都, 亦, 亦都
|
| Macau
|
都, 亦 formal
|
| Zhongshan (Shiqi)
|
都, 也
|
| Taishan
|
亦
|
| Kaiping (Chikan)
|
亦, 都, 亦都
|
| Yangjiang
|
也
|
| Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)
|
都
|
| Singapore (Guangfu)
|
都, 亦都
|
| Gan
|
Nanchang
|
也
|
| Hakka
|
Meixian
|
也
|
| Wuhua (Meilin)
|
也
|
| Miaoli (N. Sixian)
|
乜
|
| Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)
|
乜, 也
|
| Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)
|
乜
|
| Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)
|
乜
|
| Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)
|
乜
|
| Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)
|
嘛
|
| Kuching (Hepo)
|
呠
|
| Huizhou
|
Jixi
|
也
|
| Jin
|
Taiyuan
|
也
|
| Northern Min
|
Jian'ou
|
也
|
| Eastern Min
|
Fuzhou
|
也
|
| Southern Min
|
Xiamen
|
也, 嘛
|
| Quanzhou
|
也, 嘛
|
| Zhangzhou
|
也, 嘛
|
| Taipei
|
也, 嘛
|
| Penang (Hokkien)
|
呠
|
| Singapore (Hokkien)
|
也, 呠, 嘛
|
| Manila (Hokkien)
|
也, 嘛
|
| Chaozhou
|
也
|
| Shantou
|
也
|
| Jieyang
|
也
|
| Singapore (Teochew)
|
呠, 也, 嘛
|
| Pontianak (Teochew)
|
也
|
| Wenchang
|
也
|
| Zhongshan Min
|
Shaxi (Longdu)
|
都
|
| Wu
|
Shanghai
|
也
|
| Suzhou
|
亦
|
| Wenzhou
|
也
|
| Xiang
|
Changsha
|
也
|
| Shuangfeng
|
也
|
Etymology 5
Pronunciation
Definitions
嘛
- Only used in 唵嘛呢叭咪吽 (ǎn mānī bēimēi hōng).
Etymology 6
Pronunciation
Definitions
嘛
- Only used in 嘛嘛吼.
References
Japanese
Kanji
嘛
(uncommon “Hyōgai” kanji)
- This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text
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Readings
Korean
Hanja
嘛 • (ma) (hangeul 마, revised ma, McCune–Reischauer ma, Yale ma)
- This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text
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Vietnamese
Han character
嘛: Hán Nôm readings: ma
- This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text
{{rfdef}}.
References