语气助词「嘛」 yǔqì zhùcí "ma"
语气助词「嘛」（yǔqì zhùcí "ma"）means “Sentence-final 嘛: 'obviously', the reason is self-evident, or gentle persuasion”. 嘛 (always neutral tone) marks something the speaker treats as obvious or reasonable — 'well, of course', 'that's just how it is'. Formation: 句子 + 嘛（道理显然 / 劝说）
Sentence-final 嘛: 'obviously', the reason is self-evident, or gentle persuasion
HSK5Formation
句子 + 嘛（道理显然 / 劝说）
Explanation
嘛 (always neutral tone) marks something the speaker treats as obvious or reasonable — 'well, of course', 'that's just how it is'. It often appears after 本来 (běnlái, 'in the first place') to state an evident fact, or softens a request/persuasion so it sounds coaxing rather than pushy ('come on, don't cry'). Do not confuse it with the question 吗; 嘛 never forms a yes/no question.
Examples
Note
❌ 你去嘛？(no question) ✅ 你去吗？. 嘛 states, 吗 asks.
FAQ
语气助词「嘛」 — what does it mean and how is it used?
Sentence-final 嘛: 'obviously', the reason is self-evident, or gentle persuasion. 嘛 (always neutral tone) marks something the speaker treats as obvious or reasonable — 'well, of course', 'that's just how it is'. It often appears after 本来 (běnlái, 'in the first place') to state an evident fact, or softens a request/persuasion so it sounds coaxing rather than pushy ('come on, don't cry'). Do not confuse it with the question 吗; 嘛 never forms a yes/no question.
语气助词「嘛」 — how do you form it?
句子 + 嘛（道理显然 / 劝说）
语气助词「嘛」 — any usage notes?
❌ 你去嘛？(no question) ✅ 你去吗？. 嘛 states, 吗 asks.