mà: 骂 - To Scold, Curse, Swear

• Keywords: 骂, ma, mà, scold in Chinese, curse in Chinese, swear in Chinese, Chinese verb for scolding, how to say tell off in Chinese, angry Chinese words, 骂人, Chinese arguments
• Summary: Learn the powerful Chinese verb 骂 (mà), which means to scold, curse, or swear at someone. This DokuWiki entry covers its meaning, cultural significance, and practical use in daily conversation. Understand the difference between scolding (骂) and criticizing (批评) to avoid common mistakes and navigate heated situations in Mandarin Chinese.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): mà
• Part of Speech: Verb
• HSK Level: HSK 4
• Concise Definition: To verbally abuse, scold, curse, or tell someone off.
• In a Nutshell: 骂 (mà) is the essential verb in Chinese for expressing direct, verbal anger. It's not just “to criticize”; it's a strong, emotional, and often loud action. Think of a parent dressing down a child, a boss losing their temper, or two people in a heated argument shouting at each other. The feeling of 骂 is one of confrontation and a loss of composure.

• 骂 (mà):
• 口 (kǒu): The “mouth” radical on the left. This component immediately tells you the character is related to speaking, shouting, or other oral actions.
• 马 (mǎ): The character for “horse” on the right. In this context, it primarily serves as the phonetic component, as the pronunciation of mǎ (horse) is very similar to mà (to scold).
• Combined Meaning: A simple way to remember 骂 is to think of someone using their mouth (口) to shout angrily, perhaps as loudly as a neighing horse (马). The character vividly combines the action (speaking) with a sound component.

In Chinese culture, where social harmony (和谐, héxié) and preserving “face” (面子, miànzi) are highly valued, the act of 骂 (mà) is particularly significant. To 骂 someone, especially in public, is a direct and aggressive act that shatters harmony and causes a major loss of face for both the person being scolded and, to some extent, the person doing the scolding (as it shows a lack of self-control).

• Comparison to Western Culture: While “telling someone off” or “chewing someone out” in English is certainly unpleasant, the cultural impact in China can be much deeper. In the West, it might be seen as a direct, if harsh, way of airing a grievance. In China, a public 骂 can damage relationships more severely because it violates the unspoken rules of giving face. However, within certain hierarchical relationships (like a parent to a child or a traditional boss to a subordinate), 骂 can be seen as a form of harsh discipline, albeit one that is increasingly viewed as old-fashioned.

骂 is a common word used to describe real-life conflict and anger.

• In Arguments: It's the standard verb for describing a verbal fight. If you see two people shouting at each other, you would say “他们在互相骂” (Tāmen zài hùxiāng mà) - “They are scolding each other.”
• Discipline and Reprimand: A parent might 骂 a child for getting bad grades, or a boss might 骂 an employee for a major mistake. This usage implies extreme displeasure.
• Online: The internet has given rise to the term 骂战 (màzhàn), which literally means “scolding war” and is the perfect equivalent of an online “flame war.”
• Connotation: The connotation of 骂 is almost exclusively negative and informal. It implies raw anger and a breakdown of polite communication.

• Example 1:
• 他在骂我。
• Pinyin: Tā zài mà wǒ.
• English: He is scolding me.
• Analysis: A simple, direct sentence showing the basic structure: Subject + 骂 + Object. The use of 在 (zài) indicates the action is in progress.
• Example 2:
• 老师因为我迟到而骂了我。
• Pinyin: Lǎoshī yīnwèi wǒ chídào ér mà le wǒ.
• English: The teacher scolded me for being late.
• Analysis: This example gives a reason for the scolding using the “因为…而…” (yīnwèi…ér…) structure, meaning “because of…therefore…”.
• Example 3:
• 你为什么骂人？
• Pinyin: Nǐ wèishéme màrén?
• English: Why are you cursing at people?
• Analysis: 骂人 (màrén) is a very common verb-object phrase that means “to scold/curse people.” It's used as a general term for this kind of aggressive verbal behavior.
• Example 4:
• 我昨天被老板骂了一顿。
• Pinyin: Wǒ zuótiān bèi lǎobǎn mà le yí dùn.
• English: I was told off by my boss yesterday.
• Analysis: This sentence uses the passive voice marker 被 (bèi) to show that the subject “I” received the action. The measure word 顿 (dùn) is often used after 骂 to quantify the “bout” or “session” of scolding.
• Example 5:
• 他们俩在街上互相骂了起来。
• Pinyin: Tāmen liǎ zài jiē shàng hùxiāng mà le qǐlái.
• English: The two of them started cursing at each other on the street.
• Analysis: 互相 (hùxiāng) means “mutually” or “each other.” The directional complement 起来 (qǐlái) indicates the beginning and continuation of the action.
• Example 6:
• 公开骂他会让他很没面子。
• Pinyin: Gōngkāi mà tā huì ràng tā hěn méi miànzi.
• English: Scolding him in public will make him lose a lot of face.
• Analysis: This sentence perfectly illustrates the cultural context of 骂 and its connection to the concept of 面子 (miànzi), or “face.”
• Example 7:
• 别在网上跟人骂战，没意思。
• Pinyin: Bié zài wǎngshàng gēn rén màzhàn, méi yìsi.
• English: Don't get into flame wars with people online, it's pointless.
• Analysis: Here, 骂 is part of the compound noun 骂战 (màzhàn), or “flame war,” a very modern usage.
• Example 8:
• 他气得不停地骂脏话。
• Pinyin: Tā qì de bù tíng de mà zānghuà.
• English: He was so angry he couldn't stop swearing.
• Analysis: This shows 骂 used with an object, 脏话 (zānghuà), which means “profanity” or “swear words.” So, 骂脏话 means “to curse” or “to use foul language.”
• Example 9:
• 妈妈只是骂了你几句，别哭了。
• Pinyin: Māmā zhǐshì mà le nǐ jǐ jù, bié kū le.
• English: Mom just said a few harsh words to you, don't cry.
• Analysis: The phrase 骂了几句 (mà le jǐ jù) literally means “scolded a few sentences” and is a way to downplay the severity, suggesting it was a brief telling-off rather than a long tirade.
• Example 10:
• 被人骂的滋味真不好受。
• Pinyin: Bèi rén mà de zīwèi zhēn bù hǎoshòu.
• English: The feeling of being scolded by someone is really awful.
• Analysis: This sentence uses 骂 as part of a descriptive phrase. The structure “被 + Verb + 的 + Noun” means “the noun of being verbed.” Here, 滋味 (zīwèi) means “taste” or “feeling.”

• 骂 (mà) vs. 批评 (pīpíng): This is the most critical distinction for a learner.
• 骂 (mà) is emotional, aggressive, and personal. It's about venting anger.
• 批评 (pīpíng) means “to criticize.” It is more formal, objective, and ideally constructive. A teacher gives a student `批评` on their essay. A boss gives an employee `批评` during a performance review.
• Mistake Example:
  • Incorrect: 我的汉语老师骂了我的发音。 (Wǒ de Hànyǔ lǎoshī mà le wǒ de fāyīn.)
  • Why it's wrong: This sentence implies your teacher flew into a rage and verbally abused you over your pronunciation. This would be highly unusual and unprofessional.
  • Correct: 我的汉语老师批评了我的发音。 (Wǒ de Hànyǔ lǎoshī pīpíng le wǒ de fāyīn.) - “My Chinese teacher criticized my pronunciation.” This is neutral and appropriate.
• 骂 (mà) vs. 抱怨 (bàoyuàn):
• 骂 (mà) is a direct attack at someone.
• 抱怨 (bàoyuàn) means “to complain” or “to grumble,” which is usually done about a situation or person, often not to their face. You might `抱怨` about the weather, but you would `骂` a driver who cut you off.

• 吵架 (chǎojià) - To quarrel, to argue. A state that almost always involves two or more people 骂ing each other.
• 批评 (pīpíng) - To criticize. The more formal, objective, and less emotional counterpart to 骂.
• 指责 (zhǐzé) - To accuse, to blame, to censure. More formal than 骂 and focuses on assigning fault for a wrongdoing.
• 发火 (fāhuǒ) - To get angry, to lose one's temper. This is the internal emotion that often leads to the external action of 骂.
• 脏话 (zānghuà) - Swear words, profanity. The specific vocabulary one might use when they 骂 someone.
• 面子 (miànzi) - “Face,” social prestige. The cultural currency that is lost when one is publicly 骂ed.
• 骂人 (màrén) - A common verb-object phrase meaning “to scold/curse people.”
• 骂街 (màjiē) - Literally “to curse on the street”; used to describe someone making a loud, vulgar, and very public scene.
• 打骂 (dǎmà) - “To beat and scold.” A compound word that describes physical and verbal abuse, often in the context of domestic violence or harsh discipline.