么 (me) — particle (in 什么, 那么) in Mandarin
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#241 most common word
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Tone breakdown
么 is pronounced me. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.
In a sentence
Nǐ hǎo ma?
How are you?
Hear it, then say it right
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Start freeFrequently asked questions
What does 么 mean?+
么 (me) means "particle (in 什么, 那么)" in Mandarin Chinese.
How do you pronounce 么?+
么 is pronounced me. It is read with a neutral, unstressed tone. Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.
How common is 么 in Mandarin?+
么 is the #241 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.
Words at a similar frequency
Master the tones first
What each tone sounds like and why it matters.
Why some tones change in connected speech.
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