么 (me) is a Chinese character meaning “an unstressed suffix used in common interrogative and”. It is written from 丿 (left-falling stroke) and 厶 (private component), one above the other, and takes 3 strokes.
Build the character for “suffix used in questions”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
丿 + 厶
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: makemeahanzi dictionary modern decomposition candidate, verified against hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 stroke geometry
Memory aid
A left-falling stroke (丿) rests above 厶; fit these two real shapes together to make 么.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
3 strokes
In real words
- 什么shén mewhat么 = me
- 那么nà melike that; in that way; so (to that degree)么 = me
- 怎么zěn mehow; what; why么 = me
Go deeper
All readings
suffix used in questions
an unstressed suffix used in common interrogative and demonstrative words
轻声后缀，用于“什么”等常见疑问词和指示词。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 什么shén mewhat么 = me
- 那么nà melike that; in that way; so (to that degree)么 = me
- 怎么zěn mehow; what; why么 = me
Easy to confuse with
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 么 mean?
么 (me) means an unstressed suffix used in common interrogative and demonstrative words.
How do you pronounce 么?
It is pronounced me.
What parts is 么 made of?
丿 (left-falling stroke) and 厶 (private component), one above the other. The recorded source is: makemeahanzi dictionary modern decomposition candidate, verified against hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 stroke geometry. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 么 have?
3. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 么?
丿. 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 么?
Common ones are 什么. The reading of 么 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.