ま

ま U+307E, ま HIRAGANA LETTER MA ← ぽ [U+307D] Hiragana み → [U+307F]

Japanese

Stroke order

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ma̠]

Etymology 1

Derived in the Heian period from writing the man'yōgana kanji 末 in the cursive sōsho style.

Syllable

ま • (ma) 

1. The hiragana syllable ま (ma). Its equivalent in katakana is マ (ma). It is the thirty-first syllable in the gojūon order; its position is ま行あ段 (ma-gyō a-dan, “row ma, section a”).

See also

• (Hiragana) 平仮名; あぁ, いぃ, うぅゔ, えぇ, おぉ, かゕが, きぎ, くぐ, けゖげ, こご, さざ, しじ, すず, せぜ, そぞ, ただ, ちぢ, つっづ, てで, とど, な, に, ぬ, ね, の, はばぱ, ひびぴ, ふぶぷ, へべぺ, ほぼぽ, ま, み, む, め, も, やゃ, 𛀆, ゆゅ, 𛀁, よょ, ら, り, る, れ, ろ, わゎ, ゐ, 𛄟 (𛄟), ゑ, を, ん, ー, ゝ, ゞ, ゟ

Etymology 2

Alternative spelling
間

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) ま [mà] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [ma̠]

Noun

ま • (ma) 

1. a spatial interval
   1. the space between two (physical) things

      間(ま)を開(あ)ける ― ma o akeru ― to open up a space → to make space

   2. a room in a building

      次(つぎ)の間(ま)で ― tsugi no ma de ― in the next (adjoining) room

2. a temporal interval
   1. the time between two events

      間(ま)もなく到(とう)着(ちゃく)します。

      Ma mo naku tōchaku shimasu.

      I will arrive shortly.

      (literally, “... without a gap in time”)

   2. the time to do something or that a state lasts for

      休(やす)む間(ま)もなく ― yasumu ma mo naku ― with no time to rest

   3. timing, moment

      ちょうど間(ま)が悪(わる)い時(とき)に顧(こ)客(きゃく)が入(はい)ってしまった。 ― Chōdo ma ga warui toki ni kokyaku ga haitte shimatta. ― Right at the wrong moment, a client came in.

Derived terms

• 間(ま)々(ま) (mama)
• 昼(ひる)間(ま) (hiruma)
• 手(て)間(ま) (tema)
• 隙(すき)間(ま) (sukima)
• 合(あい)間(ま) (aima)
• 居(い)間(ま) (ima)
• 床(とこ)の間(ま) (toko no ma)
• 茶(ちゃ)の間(ま) (cha no ma)
• 束(つか)の間(ま) (tsuka no ma)
• 次(つぎ)の間(ま) (tsugi no ma)
• 間(あい)の間(ま) (ai no ma)
• 土(ど)間(ま) (doma)
• 鏡(かがみ)の間(ま) (kagami no ma)
• 応(おう)接(せつ)間(ま) (ōsetsuma)
• 広(ひろ)間(ま) (hiroma)
• 大(おお)広(ひろ)間(ま) (ōhiroma)
• 客(きゃく)間(ま) (kyakuma)
• 洋(よう)間(ま) (yōma)
• 仏(ぶつ)間(ま) (butsuma)
• 奥(おく)間(ま) (okuma)
• 別(べつ)間(ま) (betsuma)
• 寝(ね)間(ま) (nema)
• 小(こ)間(ま) (koma)
• 欄(らん)間(ま) (ranma)
• 間(ま)に合(あ)う (ma ni au)
• 間(ま)に合(あ)わせる (ma ni awaseru)
• 間(ま)に合(あ)わす (ma ni awasu)
• 間(ま)に合(あ)わせ (ma ni awase)
• 間(ま)合(あ)い (maai)
• 間(ま)もなく (ma mo naku)
• 間(ま)を開(あ)ける (ma o akeru)
• いつの間(ま)にか (itsu no ma ni ka)
• あっという間(ま) (atto iu ma)
• 瞬(またた)く間(ま)に (matataku ma ni)
• つかの間(ま) (tsuka no ma)
• 間(ま)取(ど)り (madori)
• 谷(たに)間(ま) (tanima)
• 貸(かし)間(ま) (kashima)
• 借(しゃく)間(ま) (shakuma)
• 間(ま)借(が)り (magari)
• 借(か)り間(ま) (karima)
• 間(ま)代(だい) (madai)
• 空(あ)き間(ま) (akima)
• 間(ま)近(ぢか) (majika)
• 間(ま)際(ぎわ) (magiwa)
• 晴(は)れ間(ま) (harema)
• 絶(た)え間(ま) (taema)
• 絶(た)え間(ま)なく (taemanaku)
• 垣(かい)間(ま) (kaima)
• 垣(かい)間(ま)見(み)る (kaima miru)
• 木(こ)の間(ま) (ko no ma)
• 株(かぶ)間(ま) (kabuma)
• 雲(くも)間(ま) (kumoma)
• 雪(ゆき)間(ま) (yukima)
• 切(き)れ間(ま) (kirema)
• 岩(いわ)間(ま) (iwama)
• 狭(はざ)間(ま) (hazama)
• 間(ま)が抜(ぬ)ける (ma ga nukeru)
• 間(ま)抜(ぬ)け (manuke)
• 京(きょう)間(ま) (kyōma)
• 中(ちゅう)京(きょう)間(ま) (chūkyōma)
• 団(だん)地(ち)間(ま) (danchima)
• 田舎(いなか)間(ま) (inakama)
• 江(え)戸(ど)間(ま) (edoma)
• 本(ほん)間(ま) (honma)
• 潮(しお)間(ま) (shioma)
• 露(つゆ)の間(ま) (tsuyu no ma)
• 間(ま)がいい (ma ga ī)
• 間(ま)が悪(わる)い (ma ga warui)
• 開(あ)かずの間(ま) (akazu no ma)
• 間(ま)遠(どお)い (madōi)
• 生(い)け間(ま) (ikema)
• 柱(はしら)間(ま) (hashirama)
• 節(ふし)の間(ま) (fushi no ma)
• 波(なみ)間(ま) (namima)
• 間(ま)切(ぎ)り (magiri)
• 間(ま)切(ぎ)る (magiru)
• 間(ま)が持(も)てない (ma ga motenai)

Counter

ま • (-ma) 

1. used to count a number of rooms

Etymology 3

Alternative spelling
目

From Old Japanese. Appears to be the older, bound form of 目 (me₂). See that entry for further details.

Probably cognate with 見る (miru, “to see”) and 芽 (me, “bud”). Never found in isolation in modern Japanese. Remains as the first syllable of various compounds.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ma̠]

Noun

ま • (ma) 

1. 目, 眼: prefixal bound form of め (me, “eye”)

Derived terms

• 前(まえ) (mae)
• 瞬(まじろ)ぐ (majirogu, “to blink, wink”)
• 瞬(またた)く (matataku, “to blink, wink”)
• 睫(まつげ) (matsuge, “eyelash”)
• 眼(まな)間(かい) (manakai, “between one's eyes”)
• 眼(まなこ) (manako, “eyeball”)
• 眼(まな)差(ざ)し (manazashi, “look, gaze”)
• 眦(まなじり) (manajiri, “corner of the eye”)
• まのあたり (manoatari, “just before one's eyes”)
• 瞬(まばた)く (mabataku, “to blink, wink”)
• 目(ま)深(ぶか) (mabuka, “wearing low over one's eyes”)
• 瞼(まぶた) (mabuta), 瞼(まなぶた) (manabuta, “eyelid”)
• 眉(まみえ) (mamie, “eyebrow”)
• 守(まも)る (mamoru, “to protect”)
• 眉(まゆ) (mayu, “eyebrow”)

Etymology 4

Alternative spelling
真

From Old Japanese. Attested since at least the Kojiki of 712 CE.

Pronunciation

(noun):

• (Tokyo) ま [mà] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [ma̠]

(prefix):

• IPA^(key): [ma̠]

(pitch accent depends on the entire prefixed word)

Noun

ま • (ma) 

1. [from 712] 真: the truth, reality, genuineness

   Synonyms: 真実 (shinjitsu), 本当 (hontō)

Idioms

• 真(ま)に受(う)ける (ma ni ukeru)

Prefix

ま • (ma-) 

1. [from 720] 真: real, genuine

   真(ま)心(ごころ) ― magokoro ― one's real mind, one's real thoughts and feelings about something

2. [from 759] 真: pure, unadulterated

   真(ま)白(しろ) ― mashiro ― pure white

3. [from 1595] 真: definitely, certainly, exactly, precisely, directly

   真(ま)上(うえ) ― maue ― directly above

4. [date unknown] 真: true, real, main (appended to words for animals or plants to indicate the representative type)

   真(ま)竹(たけ) ― matake ― true bamboo

5. [from 759] 真: (archaic, possibly obsolete, honorific) great, excellent

   真(ま)熊(くま)野(の) ― makumano ― great Kumano

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 真(ま)赤(あか) (maaka), 真(ま)っ赤(か) (makka)
• 真(ま)新(あたら)しい (maatarashii)
• 真(ま)一(いち)文(もん)字(じ) (maichimonji)
• 真(ま)上(うえ) (maue)
• 真(ま)後(うし)ろ (maushiro)
• 真(ま)顔(がお) (magao)
• 真(ま)仮(が)名(な) (magana)
• 真(ま)鴨(がも) (magamo)
• 真(ま)木(き), 槙(まき) (maki)
• 真(ま)北(きた) (makita)
• 真(ま)際(ぎわ) (magiwa)
• 真(ま)っ暗(くら) (makkura)
• 真(ま)っ暗(くら)闇(やみ) (makkurayami)
• 真(ま)黒(くろ) (makuro), 真(ま)っ黒(くろ) (makkuro)
• 真(ま)っ黒(くろ)い (makkuroi)
• 真(ま)桑(くわ)瓜(うり) (makuwauri)
• 真(ま)鯉(ごい) (magoi)
• 真(ま)っ向(こう) (makkō)
• 真(ま)心(ごころ) (magokoro)
• 真(ま)菰(こも) (makomo)
• 真(ま)っ最(さい)中(ちゅう) (massaichū, “in full swing, in the midst”)
• 真(ま)盛(さか)り (masakari), 真(ま)っ盛(さか)り (massakari)
• 真(ま)青(さお) (masao), 真(ま)っ青(さお) (massao)
• 真(ま)逆(さか) (masaka)
• 真(ま)逆様(さかさま) (masakasama), 真(ま)っ逆様(さかさま) (massakasama)
• 真(ま)っ先(さき) (massaki)
• 真(ま)砂(さご) (masago)
• 真(ま)四(し)角(かく) (mashikaku)
• 驀地(まっしぐら) (masshigura)
• 真(ま)下(した) (mashita)
• 真(ま)清水(しみず) (mashimizu)
• 真(ま)正(しょう)直(じき) (mashōjiki), 真(ま)っ正(しょう)直(じき) (masshōjiki)
• 真(ま)正(しょう)面(めん) (mashōmen), 真(ま)っ正(しょう)面(めん) (masshōmen)
• 真(ま)白(しろ) (mashiro), 真(ま)っ白(しろ) (masshiro)
• 真(ま)白(しろ)い (mashiroi), 真(ま)っ白(しろ)い (masshiroi)
• 真(ま)っ直(す)ぐ (massugu)
• 真(ま)鯛(だい) (madai)
• 真(ま)竹(だけ) (madake)
• 真(ま)っ只(ただ)中(なか) (mattadanaka)
• 真(ま)土(つち) (matsuchi)
• 真(ま)艫(とも) (matomo)
• 真(ま)面(とも) (matomo)
• 真(ま)名(な) (mana)
• 真(ま)魚(な) (mana)
• 真(ま)中(なか) (manaka), 真(ま)ん中(なか) (mannaka)
• 真(ま)夏(なつ) (manatsu)
• 真(ま)西(にし) (manishi)
• 真(ま)人(にん)間(げん) (maningen)
• 真(ま)似(ね) (mane)
• 真(ま)似(ね)る (maneru)
• 真(ま)裸(はだか) (mahadaka), 真(ま)っ裸(ぱだか) (mappadaka)
• 真(ま)平(ひら) (mahira), 真(ま)っ平(ぴら) (mappira)
• 真(ま)昼(ひる) (mahiru)
• 真(ま)東(ひがし) (mahigashi)
• 真(ま)昼(ひる) (mahiru)
• 真(ま)二(ふた)つ (mafutatsu)
• 真(ま)冬(ふゆ) (mafuyu)
• 真(ま)帆(ほ) (maho)
• 真(ま)ん前(まえ) (manmae)
• 真(ま)ん丸(まる), 真(ま)ん円(まる) (manmaru)
• 真(ま)ん丸(まる)い, 真(ま)ん円(まる)い (manmarui)
• 真(ま)水(みず) (mamizu)
• 真(ま)南(みなみ) (maminami)
• 真(ま)向(む)かい, 真(ま)向(むか)い (mamukai)
• 真(ま)向(む)き (mamuki)
• 真(ま)物(もの) (mamono)
• 真(ま)夜(よ) (mayo)
• 真(ま)横(よこ) (mayoko)
• 真(ま)夜(よ)中(なか) (mayonaka)
• 真(ま)綿(わた) (mawata)

Etymology 5

For pronunciation and definitions of ま – see the following entry.

【魔】S [affix] demon, devil, evil spirit, evil influence

(This term, ま (ma), is the hiragana spelling of the above term.) For a list of all kanji read as ま, see Category:Japanese kanji read as ま.