The character 妈 — “mom”: how to write it and what it means

妈
mā

mom

6 strokes · HSK 1

The Chinese character 妈 is read mā and means “mom”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.

Stroke order: how to write 妈

妈 has 6 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 妈, with strokes to trace and empty squares.

What 妈 is made of

On the left, 女 “woman” gives the meaning; on the right, 马 mǎ “horse” hints at the sound.

The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.

Words with 妈

Frequently asked questions

How do you write the character 妈?

妈 has 6 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 妈 mean?

妈 means “mom”. It appears in 妈妈 (“mom”), 大妈 (“auntie”).

How do you pronounce 妈?

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

How many strokes does 妈 have?

6 strokes.

爸 dad →

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 妈 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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