maa4麻
Jyutpingmaa4
Yalemàh
Definition
Hemp; any of various herbaceous plants of the Cannabaceae family whose tough stem fibers are used in weaving.
neutralnatureclothing
How it's used
While referring to the plant family, this character is frequently encountered in compound words related to textiles or specific seeds. It carries a sense of roughness or natural fiber texture when used in contexts like clothing. Note that it is also a key component in words describing numbness or tingling sensations, which is a completely different semantic root.
Examples
This shirt is made of hemp, it is very breathable.
Do you know where one can buy hemp rope?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 麻煩, where the character is used for its phonetic value or as part of a compound meaning trouble. Learners often mistake the literal plant meaning for the abstract concept of annoyance or complexity.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
