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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:

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  • I'm not a linguist, but aren't particles also words? And since characters like 吗 are particles, by definition they are also words.
    – congusbongus
    Jul 28, 2016 at 0:42
  • 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
    Jul 28, 2016 at 7:18
  • 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
    Jul 28, 2016 at 7:19

3 Answers 3

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的 is foremost a particle, but also a word in its own right. As de, it can mean plus, as in 七个的六个一共十三. As dī, it can mean cab. As dì it can mean target.

吗 is in ma and má likewise mostly a particle, but in some instances an isolated character without meaning of its own. As mǎ in 吗啡, it means morphine.

There are a number of such isolated characters, such as 蝴, which can only be used in conjunction with 蝴蝶, 蝶 in itself meaning butterfly.

蝴 is thus not a word, since it cannot stand on its own and doesn't convey any useful information. One could still infer the meaning from its written form, but likely not from speech (perhaps a child trying to say hú but not completing with dié, then).

This is true for a handful of such isolated characters. For instance 蚂 can be part of 蚂蚁 mǎyǐ, 蚂螂 mālang and 蚂蚱 màzha, but is not a word in itself. The same is true of 螂 and 蚱, which can be combined in words but not carry individual meaning. 蚁 can stand alone, as the family of ant-like insects.

Particles, on the other hand, can mostly be regarded as words, as they carry linguistic meaning in their own right. 哦 and other interjections are of this nature.

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  • re：的，＂四角号码新词典＂第１０版２７６２０的（一）（dì帝）箭靶子的中心。例：有的放矢（２）目标。例：目的（二）（dí笛）（１）实在。例：的确。（２）的士。口语中多读dī。例：打的（also 的哥 (young male) taxi driver; cabbie (slang) ＂的姐＂also occurs）。As 助词 ＂的＂qualifies as word, however in the above quoted meanings it only seems to be a (bound) morpheme (see previous comment).
    – user6065
    Jul 29, 2016 at 14:45
  • re: 的 meaning "plus"（方 see below) also "times" listed first in below dictionary, and more in agreement with the usual meaning, cf."现代汉语词典＂（６）用在两个数量词中间。a）表示相乘：这间屋子是五米～三米，合十五平方米。b）（方）表示相加：两个～三个，一共五个。This meaning may still be considered as belonging to the role of 的 as particle. See also bkrs where it is (also) #6 under "的 as particle"
    – user6065
    Aug 1, 2016 at 21:08
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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).

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  • 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
    Jul 28, 2016 at 9:08
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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.

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