有 yǒu — to have; there is; there are; to exist; to be
我有两个哥哥。Wǒ yǒu liǎng ge gē ge.I have two older brothers.
Common words: 没有 (méi yǒu)、还有 (hái yǒu)、有些 (yǒu xiē)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "to have"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "to have", including 有 (yǒu), 麻 (má). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words, and examples.
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "to have" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 有 (yǒu), 麻 (má) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span yǒu, má — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 有 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 有 yǒuto have; there is; there are; to exist; to beUseful words: 没有, 还有
- 麻 má(to have) pins and needles; tingling; hemp; numb; to botherUseful words: 麻烦, 麻醉
Common words for these 2 "to have" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 有 (yǒu) — so "to have" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
没有méi yǒuhaven't; hasn't; doesn't exist; to not have还有hái yǒuthere still remain(s); there is (or are) still; in addition有些yǒu xiēsome; somewhat; rather; a bit麻烦má fantrouble; inconvenience; inconvenient; troublesome麻醉má zuìanesthesia; to anesthetize; (fig.) to corrupt (sb's mind); to enervate麻痹má bìparalysis; palsy; numbness; to benumb
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "to have".
麻 má — (to have) pins and needles; tingling; hemp; numb; to bother
这道菜又麻又辣，很有特色。Zhè dào cài yòu má yòu là, hěn yǒu tè sè.This dish is numbing and spicy, very distinctive.
Common words: 麻烦 (má fan)、麻醉 (má zuì)、麻痹 (má bì)
All 2 characters
Open 有、麻 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.