How to use 嘛
Statement + 嘛
Sentence-final 嘛 presents a statement as something the speaker considers evident or easy to accept. It can draw attention to shared knowledge, explain a reason, or encourage someone to take an apparently straightforward course of action. The effect depends strongly on the situation and the speaker’s intonation, rather than on one fixed English translation.
Although 嘛 sounds like the neutral-tone question particle 吗, it does not turn a statement into a neutral yes-no question. In friendly speech it can sound reassuring or persuasive; in disagreement it may sound impatient or insistent. Use it when the listener can reasonably recognize the point being made, and avoid treating it as a general-purpose sentence ending.
Examples with pinyin and English
你妹妹很漂亮嘛。
Your sister is obviously pretty.
他挺有钱的嘛。
He is pretty rich.
不想去就不要去嘛。
If you don't wanna go, don't go.
你别太谦虚嘛。
Don't be too modest.
What to remember
- 嘛 usually closes a statement.
- It presents the point as evident.
- Tone can make it warm or impatient.
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Source and editorial notes
Explanation rewritten for Laowai. Examples are adapted from the Laowai English grammar curriculum, with editorial corrections where needed. The original curriculum credits AllSet Learning’s Chinese Grammar Wiki as used with permission. Read the retained source credits.
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