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Choosing Mnemonics

Pick the mnemonic story that sticks best for you by clicking its ☆ — there's no wrong choice, and you'll be able to write your own soon. Then press Continue.

= m + a2
exclamatory final particle
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ma = m + a5
interrogative final particle
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suffix, used to form interrogative 什麼|什么[shen2 me5], what?, indefinite 這麼|这么[zhe4 me5] thus, etc
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variant of 麼|么[me5]
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yāo = y + ao1
youngest / most junior / tiny / one (unambiguous spoken form when spelling out numbers, esp. on telephone or in military) / one or ace on dice or dominoes / variant of 吆[yao1], to shout
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How to pronounce 么

MandarinBanana teaches pronunciation with the Marilyn Method: every Pinyin syllable is one initial plus one final, the initial becomes a person, an animal or a deity, and the final becomes a place in your memory palace — with the tone deciding which part of that place the scene happens in. Remember the little story below for each half and the whole syllable comes back with them.

= m initial

M is for Mahatma Gandhi.

By Matthias • updated 5 months ago
+ a2 final

In the ashram’s kitchen.

By Matthias • updated 5 months ago
= m initial

M is for Mahatma Gandhi.

By Matthias • updated 5 months ago
+ a5 final

On the ashram’s roof.

By Matthias • updated 5 months ago
= m initial

M is for Mahatma Gandhi.

By Matthias • updated 5 months ago
+ e5 final

On the elevator’s roof.

By Matthias • updated 3 months ago
= y initial

Y is for Maud Younger.

By Matthias • updated about 2 months ago
+ ao1 final

In front of the aorta.

By Matthias • updated 5 months ago

么 character breakdown

Chinese characters are built out of smaller characters. Each component carries a mnemonic symbol - one concrete object that stands in for it - and a mnemonic story hands those objects to the person and the place that stand for the pronunciation. Learn a component once and every character that reuses it gets easier.

Component Translations
丿
piě = pi + e3
radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 4) / see 撇[pie3]
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mǒu = m + ou3
old variant of 某[mou3]
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= s + Ø1
old variant of 私[si1]
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Characters with 么 as component

variant of 麼|么[me5]
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= m + o2
tiny / insignificant
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= mu + Ø4
used in 仫佬族[Mu4 lao3 zu2], Mulao ethnic group of Guangxi
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Words with 么

what? / something / anything
how? / what? / why?
variant of 怎麼|怎么[zen3 me5]

Sentences with 么

zěn
me
néng
jiāo
men
hǎo
hǎo
cāo
liàn
ne

Want to remember 么 for good?

Make it your learning target and MandarinBanana works out the shortest route to it: the two sounds its syllable is built from, then the components of the character itself, one short step at a time. No account needed to start.

yāo / / ma / me

5 translations

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Prompt snippets

The anthropomorphic elementary particle is a glowing, spherical orb of iridescent plasma wearing a sharp, charcoal-gray wool trench coat and a miniature fedora. Its surface features crackling, jagged electrical discharges and a single, unblinking mechanical monocle attached to a thin silver chain.