<p>I don't know much about grammer analysis. 吗 being put at the end of a sentence with a raised tone and a question mark forms a quesiton sentence. Is it word? I can say it is a character, and does not have any meaning itself. I guess it's a functional character. 的 is like "of" in English. 我的朋友: a friend of mine (my friend). Also, 蓝色的天空 (blue sky). 蓝色的: having the nature of blue. But in Mainland China, 的 has another usage in legal language （not used in HongKong）. Being put at the end of a sentence clause, it means "if such thing happens". Eg: ...造成损失的，应负法律责任 (...One shall bear legal liabilities if loss is incurred).</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-07-28T09:08:21.273Z
It seems simpleminded readers would simply understand  造成损失的，应负法律责任 as ＂Whoever （the one who) caused the loss shall bear legal liabilities＂.
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-07-28T03:30:58.103Z
2016-07-28T03:30:58.103Z
Victor
<p>的 is exception? you're kidding :(</p>

<p>the initial meaning of 的 is "bullseye of target for archery"</p>

<p><a href="http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&amp;searchid=W00000002148" rel="nofollow">http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&amp;searchid=W00000002148</a></p>

<p>you must define clearly what's character and word, before others help you.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-07-28T03:51:51.507Z
2016-07-28T04:08:41.887Z
2016-07-28T04:08:41.887Z
水巷孑蠻
<p>My guess is that (at least) 99.9% of Chinese characters represent words.</p>
<p>The possible exceptions are 的 and 吗 -- as in:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>的  in  &quot;my car&quot; (wǒ de chē)   我的车</p>
<p>吗  in  你好吗?  or   &quot;Ni Hai Hao Ma?&quot; (你还好吗?)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>的 and 吗 may not be words, more like suffixes or (sentence) particles. Are there many more exceptions like these? Thank you.</p>
<hr>
<p>The concept of a [Chinese word] is not too tricky. See:</p>
<ul>
<li><p><a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/13465/are-there-large-discrepancies-between-what-chinese-consider-to-be-words?rq=1">Are there large discrepancies between what Chinese consider to be words?</a></p>
</li>
<li><p><a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/19637/what-percentage-of-chinese-words-are-1-character-2-character/19668#19668">What percentage of Chinese words are 1-character ? ... 2-character?</a></p>
</li>
<li><p>Also related:<br />
<a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/3083/why-do-native-speakers-often-say-a-character-has-no-meaning">Why do native speakers often say a character has &quot;no meaning&quot;?</a></p>
</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-07-28T00:42:07.990Z
I'm not a linguist, but aren't particles also words? And since characters like [吗](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_particles) are particles, by definition they are also words.
congusbongus
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-07-28T07:18:42.513Z
see grammars for definition of words，morphemes，e。g。＂实用现代汉语语法＂：第一编｜现代汉语语法概述｜第一节｜语法单位｜一、语素（morpheme）｜语素是最小的音义结合体，也是最小的语法单位。如＂人＂、＂民＂、＂作＂、＂用＂、＂桌＂、＂葡萄＂、＂玻璃＂等等都是语素，因为它们都有意义，而且不能分割成更小有意义的单位。＂人＂、＂民＂等单音节语素自然不能进行分割，而像＂葡萄＂、＂玻璃＂等双音节语素，如分割成＂葡＂、＂萄＂、＂玻＂、＂璃＂，将不包含任何意义，因而也就不成其为语素。＿汉语的绝大多数语素是单音节的，少数是双音节的，三、四个音节语素更少。由于汉字是音节文字，一个单音节语素在书面上就用一个汉字来书写，所以绝大多数汉字都与语素对应。少数汉字不与语素对应，如＂玛＂、＂瑙＂、＂唠＂、＂叨＂、＂葡＂、＂萄＂等，它们只表示多音节语素中的一个音节，不能表示什么意义。＿还有的汉字与几个语素对应，表示不同的意义。如＂把＂－－＂一把尺子＂、＂把守＂、＂把门开开＂、＂个把月＂（上述＂把＂音 bǎ），＂把（bà）儿＂；＂生＂－－＂生长＂、＂一生＂、＂生炉子＂、＂生病＂、＂生瓜＂、＂生疼＂、＂学生＂，等等。汉字和语素的关系是比较复杂的。
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-07-28T07:19:08.247Z
二、词｜词是最小的有意义的能独立运用的语音单位。所谓能独立运用，是指能单说或能单独（不必与另一些特定的语音成分结合）进入句子。如＂工人＂是一个词，因为：第一，它有意义；第二，可以单说、单独回答问题。例如：（１）问：他哥哥是干什么的？答：工人。－第三，它是能独立运用的最小的语音单位，如进一步分割成＂工＂和＂人＂不仅意义与＂工人＂不完全相同，而且当＂工＂作名词用时，一般也不能单说。又如＂的＂也是一个词，第一，它表示一定的语法意义；第二，可以单独进入句子，而不必与某一个或某些特定的语音成分结合在一起。例如：（２）我的家在北京。（３）明明是一个可爱的孩子。＿第三，＂的＂自然是最小的有意义的单位。而＂人民＂中的＂民＂就不是一个词，因为它不能单独进入句子，必须与＂人＂、＂公＂、＂居＂等语素结合成＂人民＂、＂公民＂、＂居民＂等，才能进入句子。
user6065
<vocabulary><characters><word>
Does a Chinese character almost-always represent a word?
# Does a Chinese character almost-always represent a word?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-07-27)

My guess is that (at least) 99.9% of Chinese characters represent words.

The possible exceptions are 的 and 吗 -- as in:

> 的 in "my car" (wǒ de chē) 我的车
>
> 吗 in 你好吗? or "Ni Hai Hao Ma?" (你还好吗?)

的 and 吗 may not be words, more like suffixes or (sentence) particles. Are there many more exceptions like these? Thank you.

---

The concept of a [Chinese word] is not too tricky. See:

* [Are there large discrepancies between what Chinese consider to be words?](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/13465/are-there-large-discrepancies-between-what-chinese-consider-to-be-words?rq=1)
* [What percentage of Chinese words are 1-character ? ... 2-character?](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/19637/what-percentage-of-chinese-words-are-1-character-2-character/19668#19668)
* Also related:  
  [Why do native speakers often say a character has "no meaning"?](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/3083/why-do-native-speakers-often-say-a-character-has-no-meaning)

**Tags:** vocabulary, characters, word

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I'm not a linguist, but aren't particles also words? And since characters like [吗](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_particles) are particles, by definition they are also words.  
> **username_2**: see grammars for definition of words，morphemes，e。g。＂实用现代汉语语法＂：第一编｜现代汉语语法概述｜第一节｜语法单位｜一、语素（morpheme）｜语素是最小的音义结合体，也是最小的语法单位。如＂人＂、＂民＂、＂作＂、＂用＂、＂桌＂、＂葡萄＂、＂玻璃＂等等都是语素，因为它们都有意义，而且不能分割成更小有意义的单位。＂人＂、＂民＂等单音节语素自然不能进行分割，而像＂葡萄＂、＂玻璃＂等双音节语素，如分割成＂葡＂、＂萄＂、＂玻＂、＂璃＂，将不包含任何意义，因而也就不成其为语素。＿汉语的绝大多数语素是单音节的，少数是双音节的，三、四个音节语素更少。由于汉字是音节文字，一个单音节语素在书面上就用一个汉字来书写，所以绝大多数汉字都与语素对应。少数汉字不与语素对应，如＂玛＂、＂瑙＂、＂唠＂、＂叨＂、＂葡＂、＂萄＂等，它们只表示多音节语素中的一个音节，不能表示什么意义。＿还有的汉字与几个语素对应，表示不同的意义。如＂把＂－－＂一把尺子＂、＂把守＂、＂把门开开＂、＂个把月＂（上述＂把＂音 bǎ），＂把（bà）儿＂；＂生＂－－＂生长＂、＂一生＂、＂生炉子＂、＂生病＂、＂生瓜＂、＂生疼＂、＂学生＂，等等。汉字和语素的关系是比较复杂的。  
> **username_2**: 二、词｜词是最小的有意义的能独立运用的语音单位。所谓能独立运用，是指能单说或能单独（不必与另一些特定的语音成分结合）进入句子。如＂工人＂是一个词，因为：第一，它有意义；第二，可以单说、单独回答问题。例如：（１）问：他哥哥是干什么的？答：工人。－第三，它是能独立运用的最小的语音单位，如进一步分割成＂工＂和＂人＂不仅意义与＂工人＂不完全相同，而且当＂工＂作名词用时，一般也不能单说。又如＂的＂也是一个词，第一，它表示一定的语法意义；第二，可以单独进入句子，而不必与某一个或某些特定的语音成分结合在一起。例如：（２）我的家在北京。（３）明明是一个可爱的孩子。＿第三，＂的＂自然是最小的有意义的单位。而＂人民＂中的＂民＂就不是一个词，因为它不能单独进入句子，必须与＂人＂、＂公＂、＂居＂等语素结合成＂人民＂、＂公民＂、＂居民＂等，才能进入句子。  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2016-07-28. Score: 1

I don't know much about grammer analysis. 吗 being put at the end of a sentence with a raised tone and a question mark forms a quesiton sentence. Is it word? I can say it is a character, and does not have any meaning itself. I guess it's a functional character. 的 is like "of" in English. 我的朋友: a friend of mine (my friend). Also, 蓝色的天空 (blue sky). 蓝色的: having the nature of blue. But in Mainland China, 的 has another usage in legal language （not used in HongKong）. Being put at the end of a sentence clause, it means "if such thing happens". Eg: ...造成损失的，应负法律责任 (...One shall bear legal liabilities if loss is incurred).

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: It seems simpleminded readers would simply understand  造成损失的，应负法律责任 as ＂Whoever （the one who) caused the loss shall bear legal liabilities＂.  

---

### Answer by username_4 on 2016-07-28. Score: 1

的 is exception? you're kidding :(

the initial meaning of 的 is "bullseye of target for archery"

<http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&searchid=W00000002148>

you must define clearly what's character and word, before others help you.


---

