么 me question particle
怎么记住“么”: ㇒ falling stroke + 厶 private = question particle. The art teacher adds one falling stroke in her private sketchbook, and little Mia asks why after every line like a living question particle.
部件结构
形声 · Meaning + sound
originally 麻 + 幺
One part gives the meaning, the other gives the sound.
么 = ㇒ falling stroke + 厶 private
- ㇒ falling stroke shape only
- 厶 private shape only
The art teacher adds one falling stroke in her private sketchbook, and little Mia asks why after every line like a living question particle.
How it came to be
The full form had an outer part for the sound and an inner part meaning small; the simplified form keeps only the inner part.
用法
- Only lives inside question words: 什么 (shénme) what, 怎么 (zěnme) how, 那么/这么 (nàme/zhème) so (much). Never stands alone.
- Toneless -me here; don't confuse it with the question particle 吗 (ma) or 嘛 (ma).
含“么”的词语
例句
- 她怎么了？ Tā zěnme le?What happened to her?
- 你在想什么？ Nǐ zài xiǎng shénme?What are you thinking about?
- 那是什么东西？ Nà shì shénme dōngxi?What's that?
- 你叫什么名字？ Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?What's your name?