骂 (mà) is a Chinese character meaning “to scold”. It is written from 口 (mouth) and 口 (mouth) and 马 (horse), one above the other, and takes 9 strokes.
Build the character for “to scold”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
口 + 口 + 马
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: IDS 拆分 ⿱⿰口口马，并以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 0–2、3–5 各与「口」逐笔对应，笔画 6–8 与「马」逐笔对应（3+3+3=9 画）
Memory aid
Two mouths (口 口) opened wide over a horse (马) — a pair of people yelling abuse at full gallop. Every part shown is really in this character.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
9 strokes
In real words
- 骂人mà rénto call people names; to swear at someone骂 = mà
- 打骂dǎ màto beat and scold; to abuse physically and verbally骂 = mà
Go deeper
All readings
to scold
to scold; to curse; to call someone names; to tell off
用粗野或恶意的话侮辱人；严厉责备。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 骂人mà rénto call people names; to swear at someone骂 = mà
- 打骂dǎ màto beat and scold; to abuse physically and verbally骂 = mà
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 骂 mean?
骂 (mà) means to scold; to curse; to call someone names; to tell off.
How do you pronounce 骂?
It is pronounced mà.
What parts is 骂 made of?
口 (mouth) and 口 (mouth) and 马 (horse), one above the other. The recorded source is: IDS 拆分 ⿱⿰口口马，并以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 0–2、3–5 各与「口」逐笔对应，笔画 6–8 与「马」逐笔对应（3+3+3=9 画）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 骂 have?
9. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 骂?
马. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 骂?
Common ones are 骂人 and 打骂. The reading of 骂 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.