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干吗

gànmá

why; what for

A puzzled person by a spilled cup
Memory picture

Characters in this word

干 gān

Strokes
3
Radical
十 — ten, tenth
How it's built
Pictograph — a drawing of the thing

吗 ma

Strokes
6
Radical
口 — mouth
Made of
口 mouth 马 horse
How it's built
Phono-semantic — one part hints at the meaning, another at the sound

Example phrases

  • 你来干吗? Nǐ lái gànmá? What are you here for?
  • 他笑干吗? Tā xiào gànmá? What is he laughing for?
  • 你哭干吗? Nǐ kū gànmá? What are you crying for?

Related words

All HSK 3 words →