马

contributes the sense of horses and horse-like speed · Character component

contributes the sense of horses and horse-like speed, and very often just supplies the sound ma

The full form 馬 was a picture of a horse seen from the side: a head with a bristling mane at the top, a body with legs beneath, and a tail at the back — the four dots at the bottom were the legs. The simplified 马 keeps the skeleton of that drawing: the small stroke at top with its bend is the head and mane, the long horizontal is the back and belly, and the sweeping vertical hook is the hind leg and tail. In characters like 驰 (gallop), 驹 (colt) and 骆 it gives the horse meaning, but in 妈, 吗, 骂 and 码 it is there only for the sound ma.

马 at a glance

Meaning

contributes the sense of horses and horse-like speed

Strokes

3

Characters

65

Role

Contributes meaning

Characters with 马

Frequently asked questions