Let me try to answer: "ما" and "ماذا" are interrogatives with the same meaning "What ?". But "ماذا" can only be used in relation to a verb - while "ما" can be used both before a verb or a noun/pronoun. Here are some examples, picked from the other answers to your question: Before a noun: only "ما" ما الأمر؟ = what's happen? ما سبب زيارتك ؟what is the reason for you visit ? ما هو لونك المفضل ؟؟what is your favorite color ? ma houa ra'iok? = what is ur point of view? Before a verb ("ماذا" always possible, "ما" also possible most of the time) ماذا تفعل؟ = what are you doing? // do not confuse with ماذا تفعل غدا؟ what will you do tomorrow ? ماذا قال لك الاستاذ ؟ = what did the teacher tell you ? ؟ماذا تحمل بيدك ؟ = what are you holding ? بماذا تحلم بما تحلم ؟؟ = what do you dream of ? see that here both can be used . Note how you can switch between ""ماذا" and a phrase like "ما هو / ما اللذي" : ماذا يحدث هنا ؟ = ما الذي يحذث هنا ؟

use varies depending to the sentence. but I think often (ماذا) is used for queries, and (ما) used to question.

We can say they have the same meaning. We use them to ask about everything like (animals, things, stuff, acts..etc) except the people. ما الأمر؟ = what's happen? ماذا تفعل؟ = what are you doing?

ما is the same in ماذا ما : what ذا : harfou ichara expl: ما الذي ماذا ما هذا ما هو ذا، هذا، الذي : للإشارة to show !

ما there is many uses for it within the meaning of the sentence..we can use it as a question : what is ur point of view..ma houa ra'iok..actually we always use it after the third person singular pronoun (houa hia ) etc...also we use as a tool denied ex: wallahi ma fa'altoo shai'an = i swear i didn't do anything ماذا we use it only for a question but we cant use it before the third person singular pronoun i mean for ex we can't say : matha houa yaf'al= what he is doing..we say matha yaf'al= what he is doing