The character 马 — “horse”: how to write it and what it means
horse
The Chinese character 马 is read mǎ and means “horse”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 马
马 has 3 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 马, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 马 is made of
A simplified picture of a horse. It hints at the sound in 妈 and 吗.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 马
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 马?
马 has 3 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 马 mean?
马 means “horse”. It appears in 马路 (“street”), 马上 (“right away”), 马虎 (“careless”).
How do you pronounce 马?
马 is read mǎ. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 马 have?
3 strokes.
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 马 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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