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Expressing the self-evident with "ma"
=====================================
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- [Advanced yes-no questions with
"ma"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Advanced_yes-no_questions_with_%22ma%22) (B1)
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[嘛](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E5%98%9B)
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The particle 嘛 (ma) is a sentence-final particle identical in
pronunciation to the simple ["yes/no question" particle 吗
(ma)](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Yes_-_no_questions_with_ma)
you learned back in the day but with a rather different function. It can
be used when the speaker feels what he is saying is obvious (from his
point of view).
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Contents
--------
<span class="toctoggle"> [hide]([# "wikilink")\] </span>
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- [<span class="tocnumber">1</span>
<span class="toctext">Structure</span>](#Structure "wikilink")
- [<span class="tocnumber">2</span>
<span class="toctext">Examples</span>](#Examples "wikilink")
- [<span class="tocnumber">3</span> <span class="toctext">See
also</span>](#See_also "wikilink")
- [<span class="tocnumber">4</span> <span class="toctext">Sources and
further reading</span>](#Sources_and_further_reading "wikilink")
- [<span class="tocnumber">4.1</span>
<span class="toctext">Books</span>](#Books "wikilink")
- [<span class="tocnumber">4.2</span>
<span class="toctext">Websites</span>](#Websites "wikilink")
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<span id="Structure" class="mw-headline">Structure</span>
---------------------------------------------------------
<div class="jiegou">
Statement + 嘛
</div>
<span id="Examples" class="mw-headline">Examples</span>
-------------------------------------------------------
<div class="liju">
- 你 妹妹 很 漂亮 *嘛* 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ mèimei hěn piàoliang
*ma*.</span><span class="trans">Your sister is pretty.</span>
- 他 家 挺 有钱 的 *嘛* 。<span class="pinyin">Tā jiā tǐng yǒuqián de
*ma*.</span><span class="trans">His family is pretty rich.</span>
- 不 想 去 就 不要 去 *嘛* 。<span class="pinyin">Bù xiǎng qù jiù
bùyào qù *ma*.</span><span class="trans">If you don't wanna go,
don't go.</span>
- 你 别 太 谦虚 *嘛* 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ bié tài qiānxū
*ma*.</span><span class="trans">Don't be too modest.</span>
- 大家 有 话 就 说 *嘛* 。<span class="pinyin">Dàjiā yǒu huà jiù shuō
*ma*.</span><span class="trans">Guys, you should say whatever you
want to say.</span>
- 你 跟 他 很 熟 *嘛* 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ gēn tā hěn shóu
*ma*.</span><span class="trans">You two know each other well.</span>
- 开 慢点 ，安全 第一 *嘛* 。<span class="pinyin">Kāi màn diǎn, ānquán
dìyī *ma*.</span><span class="trans">Drive slowly. Safety
first.</span>
- 不用 塑料袋 更 环保 *嘛* 。<span class="pinyin">Bùyòng sùliàodài
gèng huánbǎo *ma*.</span><span class="trans">It's more
environmentally friendly not to use plastic bags.</span>
- 这个 老外 很 了解 中国 文化 *嘛* 。<span class="pinyin">Zhège lǎowài
hěn liǎojiě Zhōngguó wénhuà *ma*.</span><span class="trans">This
foreigner know a lot about Chinese culture.</span>
- 别 担心 ，一边 工作 一边 学 *嘛* 。<span class="pinyin">Bié dānxīn,
yībiān gōngzuò yībiān xué
*ma*.</span><span class="trans">Don't worry. You can learn while you
work.</span>
</div>
<span id="See_also" class="mw-headline">See also</span>
-------------------------------------------------------
- [Marking a topic with
"ma"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Marking_a_topic_with_%22ma%22)
<span id="Sources_and_further_reading" class="mw-headline">Sources and further reading</span>
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
### <span id="Books" class="mw-headline">Books</span>
- [Common Chinese Patterns
330 (汉语常用格式330例)](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Common_Chinese_Patterns_330_(%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%B8%B8%E7%94%A8%E6%A0%BC%E5%BC%8F330%E4%BE%8B)) (pp.
225) [→buy](http://amzn.to/2zBMfhl)
- [Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part
2](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Integrated_Chinese:_Level_2,_Part_2) (pp.
19) [→buy](http://amzn.to/2ftpILV)
- [Intermediate Chinese - A Grammar and
Workbook](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Intermediate_Chinese_-_A_Grammar_and_Workbook)
[→buy](http://amzn.to/2yMqKwy)
### <span id="Websites" class="mw-headline">Websites</span>
- [Three Simple Uses of the Other "Ma" on a
Bag](http://www.sinosplice.com/life/archives/2012/01/31/the-other-ma-on-a-bag/)
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