About
The character 吗, traditionally written as 嗎, primarily functions as a sentence-final particle for forming yes-no questions. It is a phono-semantic compound: the left side features the mouth radical 口, linking it to speech or vocalization, while the right side is 马 (馬 in traditional form), meaning horse, which provides the phonetic component. Initially used for transliterating foreign words or imitating sounds, its role evolved to become a core grammatical marker for questions in everyday language.
Example Sentences Hide
你吃饭了吗？
你会说中文吗？
你喜欢咖啡吗？
他现在在家吗？
你昨天去公园了吗？
你真的相信他吗？
如果下雨，你还来吗？
你认为这个计划可行吗？