马
horse
mǎ
What does 马 mean?
马 (mǎ) is the noun for 'horse,' one of the twelve Chinese zodiac animals (生肖) and one of the most pictographic characters still in everyday use — its modern form descends from a drawing of a horse with mane and four legs. Horses carry positive symbolism in Chinese culture: speed, success, and strength, captured in idioms like 一马当先 ('to take the lead') and 马到成功 ('immediate success'). 马 also appears in many compounds that have nothing to do with the animal: 马上 means 'right away' (originally 'on horseback,' i.
e. in the time it takes to mount), 马路 means 'road' (originally 'horse road'), 马虎 means 'careless,' and 马克 is the Chinese transliteration for 'Mark.' The standard measure word is 匹 (pǐ): 一匹马 'one horse.'
Character breakdown
horse (pictograph of a horse with mane)
Memory hook: The simplified 马 is a stylized horse: the top stroke is the head, the middle is the mane and body, and the bottom strokes are the legs.
Measure word for 马
Example sentences
他很喜欢骑马。
Tā hěn xǐhuan qí mǎ.
He really likes to ride horses.
spoken
我属马。
Wǒ shǔ mǎ.
I was born in the year of the horse.
spoken
草原上有很多马。
Cǎoyuán shàng yǒu hěn duō mǎ.
There are many horses on the grassland.
neutral
请不要在马路上玩。
Qǐng bú yào zài mǎlù shàng wán.
Please don't play in the street.
neutral
这匹马跑得真快。
Zhè pǐ mǎ pǎo de zhēn kuài.
This horse runs really fast.
spoken
Common phrases with 马
Don't confuse 马 with
妈 means 'mom' and adds the 女 (woman) radical to 马. Same right-hand component, completely different meaning. Tone also differs: 妈 is first tone, 马 is third tone.
吗 is the yes/no question particle (你好吗？). It also adds 口 (mouth) to 马 but is a function word, neutral tone, with no meaning of its own.