Ma in Korean: the Syllable 마
마 is a Korean syllable block read ma, built from ㅁ + ㅏ. See 마늘 and 마음 as examples, trace 마 in 5 strokes, print the 마 worksheet for free.
How do you read and write Ma in Korean (마)?
Ma in Korean is written 마 and is built from ㅁ + ㅏ (a), a side-by-side block of 5 strokes. 마 is romanized ma and sounds like the ma in English 'mama'. Words that begin with 마 include 마늘 (garlic) and 마음 (heart; mind).
Ma in Korean 마: reading, parts and strokes
마 Ma in KoreanKorean syllable block
마 is read ma: ㅁ + ㅏ.
마 at a glance
Two ways to remember 마
Look
Words with 마
garlic
하hippo- heart
- village
Sound: ma.
How the block 마 is built
How to read 마
마How to write 마 stroke by stroke
Trace Ma in Korean 마 with a finger, mouse or pen: start at the numbered dot, follow the dotted arrow, and press Clear to try again.
Print style 정자체
Follow the numbers and dotted arrows
Handwriting 필기체
Same stroke order as print style
Draw the left side straight down. Then start at the top of that line, draw the top line to the right, then turn down for the right side. Then draw the bottom line from left to right to close the box.
A long vertical line first, then a short line to the right from its middle.
A common slip with 마
How 마 is used
마음 (heart, mind) and 마을 (village) differ only in their second block, so they make a good pair for careful reading. 마 also begins 마스크 (mask).
The opening consonant of this block is made with both lips, and its sound is like m, as in mouth.
마 with a final consonant
| Block | Reading | Final |
|---|---|---|
| 막 | mak | ㄱ = k |
| 만 | man | ㄴ = n |
| 말 | mal | ㄹ = l |
| 맘 | mam | ㅁ = m |
| 맙 | map | ㅂ = p |
| 망 | mang | ㅇ = ng |
With 마 (ma), adding a final gives the family 막 (mak), 만 (man), 말 (mal), 맘 (mam), 맙 (map), 망 (mang).
For 마 (ma), compare the closings one by one: k (ㄱ), n (ㄴ), l (ㄹ), m (ㅁ), p (ㅂ), ng (ㅇ).
Put ㄱ at the bottom of 마 for 막 (mak), closing on a quiet k. Add ㄴ under 마 and you get 만 (man), closing on a hummed n. Put ㄹ at the bottom of 마 for 말 (mal), closing on a tongue-tip l.
Add ㅁ under 마 and you get 맘 (mam), closing on a lip-closed m. Put ㅂ at the bottom of 마 for 맙 (map), closing on a lip-closed p. Add ㅇ under 마 and you get 망 (mang), closing on the ng of song.
ㅁ with other vowels
Keep ㅁ (mieum) and swap the vowel to get 마 (ma), 머 (meo), 모 (mo), 무 (mu), 므 (meu), 미 (mi).
마 next to 라 and 바
On the other side, 라 (ra) is made with the tip of the tongue and gives a quick touch of the tongue tip, which you can compare with 마.
Words that start with 마
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 마차 | ma-cha | carriage (noun) |
| 마스크 | ma-seu-keu | mask (noun) |
| 치마 | chi-ma | skirt (noun) |
| 토마토 | to-ma-to | tomato (noun) |
마늘 (garlic) is a word that opens with 마; say it as ma-neul.
마음 (heart; mind) is a word that opens with 마; say it as ma-eum.
마을 (village) is a word that opens with 마; say it as ma-eul.
마스크 (mask) is a word that opens with 마; say it as ma-seu-keu.
The word 마차 (carriage) opens with 마 and sounds like ma-cha.
마 writing worksheet (free printable)
Worksheet · Level 1 · Letters
Korean syllable tracing worksheet: 마 (ma)
The one-page Ma in Korean 마 sheet builds 마 (ma) from ㅁ + ㅏ, traces it, writes ㅁ with other vowels (마 머 모 무 므 미) and ends with a game of finding 마.
- 1 page
- A4 · US Letter
- PDF · 97 KB
- Free · no sign-up
Want more? Get a printable pack of Hangul letters
Worksheet information
- How to use
- Build 마 from ㅁ + ㅏ, trace it, then write it on your own.
Practice 마
Try it yourself
Put Ma in Korean 마, ma, into the builder and read the block it makes. Open the syllable builder with 마 ready
마 (Ma in Korean) — FAQ
How do you read 마?
Put together, ㅁ and ㅏ sound like ma.
Which letters make up 마?
The letters inside 마 are ㅁ and ㅏ, with ㅁ on the left and ㅏ on the right.
How do you write 마 stroke by stroke?
The block is 5 strokes, drawn in the order ㅁ then ㅏ; ㅁ uses 3 and ㅏ uses 2.
How is 마 made?
마 is ㅁ (m) + ㅏ (a) side by side, 5 strokes in all. It is romanized ma.
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