maa1嗎吗
Jyutpingmaa1
Yalemā
Definition
A sentence-final particle used to turn a statement into a yes-no question.
writtenparticle
How it's used
This particle is essentially a loan from Mandarin and carries a formal or literary tone that feels out of place in casual Cantonese speech. Native speakers almost exclusively use sentence final particles like 咩, 㗎, or 喇 to form questions. Using it in daily conversation can make you sound like you are reading from a textbook or translating directly from written Chinese.
Related words
Common phrases
How are you
Common mistake
Learners often overuse this because it is the first question particle taught in Mandarin classes, but it is rarely used in authentic spoken Cantonese. You should replace it with 咩 for rhetorical questions or 㗎 for neutral inquiries to sound more natural.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
