The character 麻 — “hemp”: how to write it and what it means

麻
má

hemp, flax; numb

11 strokes · HSK 4

The Chinese character 麻 is read má and means “hemp, flax; numb”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.

Stroke order: how to write 麻

麻 has 11 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.

To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 麻, with strokes to trace and empty squares.

Words with 麻

Frequently asked questions

How do you write the character 麻?

麻 has 11 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.

What does 麻 mean?

麻 means “hemp, flax; numb”. It appears in 麻烦 (“trouble”).

How do you pronounce 麻?

麻 is read má. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.

How many strokes does 麻 have?

11 strokes.

← 歉 regret扰 disturb →

More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.

Write 麻 yourself

In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.

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