maa3嘛

Jyutpingmaa3

Yalema

Very common

Definition

So-so; mediocre (usually used in its reduplicated form as 嘛嘛).

colloquialdescriptionsparticle

How it's used

The reduplicated form is almost always pronounced with a neutral tone and often followed by 哋 to soften the criticism. It functions as a polite way to express mediocrity or lack of enthusiasm without being overtly rude. Native speakers frequently use it when they want to avoid giving a direct negative opinion about someone's recommendation or cooking.

Common phrases

maa4麻maa2麻dei2哋

just so-so

Common mistake

Do not confuse this with the sentence-final particle 嘛 which is used to indicate something is obvious. The adjective meaning so-so is specifically the reduplicated form, often written as 麻麻 or 麻麻哋, and is distinct from the grammatical particle.