How to pronounce ma in Chinese

Hear 妈 (mā) spoken, see what it means, then record yourself for instant AI feedback on your pronunciation.

妈

mā

Same sound, different tones

妈
māT1

mother

麻
máT2

hemp / numb

马
mǎT3

horse

骂
màT4

to scold

吗
maT0

question particle

Common mistake

Same sound, four meanings — the tone is the word. Say 妈 (mā) high and flat; don't let it fall.

Try it yourself

Record yourself saying 妈 and get instant AI feedback.

</>Embed this on your site

Free for teachers and blogs — paste this code into your page:

Related sounds

Keep exploring

Free · 2 minutes · no signup

How good is your Chinese pronunciation, really?

Reading about tones is not the same as producing them. Say a few words into your mic and the AI scores every syllable — tone, initial and final — then shows you which sounds are holding you back.

Runs in your browser. Nothing to install.

Train, don't just read

Practice your pronunciation in the app

A guide can explain the tones, but you can't fix your pronunciation by reading. The TonePerfect app lets you actually say the words and scores every syllable — initial, final, and tone — in real time, so you hear your mistakes and correct them on the spot.

  • Instant AI feedback on every syllable
  • Practice any word, sentence, or HSK list
  • Hands-on tone training you can't get from reading

Free to start · 4.6★ · 30,000+ learners