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Kotomora

幕

curtain, bunting, act of play

JLPTN1StatusJōyō · grade 6FrequencyTop 1,000Strokes13

Readings

On'yomi

  • マク
  • バク

Kun'yomi

  • とばり

Meaning

幕 centers on a large piece of cloth that covers, separates, or marks a scene: a curtain, decorative bunting, or the act of a play (where the curtain rises and falls).

Most common words using 幕

20 of 138
  • 開幕かいまく
    N1

    raising the curtain

  • 字幕じまく

    subtitles; captioning

  • 幕まく
    N3

    curtain

  • 幕府ばくふ

    shogunate; bakufu

  • 幕末ばくまつ

    Bakumatsu period; closing days of the Tokugawa shogunate; end of the Edo period

  • 黒幕くろまく

    black curtain

  • 幕開けまくあけ

    rise of the curtain; opening of a play

  • 弾幕だんまく

    (artillery) barrage

  • 幕内まくうち

    makuuchi; top division (of professional sumo)

  • 幕下まくした

    third highest division; wrestlers of the third highest division

  • 幕僚ばくりょう

    staff; staff officer

  • 一幕ひとまく

    one act (of a play)

  • 横断幕おうだんまく

    horizontal banner

  • 煙幕えんまく

    smokescreen

  • 閉幕へいまく

    falling of the curtain

  • 幕間まくあい

    intermission (between acts); interlude

  • 終幕しゅうまく

    end; close

  • 垂れ幕たれまく

    hanging banner; hanging screen; curtain

  • 銀幕ぎんまく

    (projection) screen

  • 入幕にゅうまく

    advancing to the first grade

Explore all words using 幕 →

Study

Etymology

幕 combines 莫 (a phonetic element with the idea of covering) and 巾 (cloth), originally referring to a tent or covering cloth. The modern form retains this structure.

Meaning mnemonic

The top 莫 suggests covering or spreading, and the bottom 巾 is cloth. Picture a large cloth spread out like a theater curtain or festive bunting.

Reading mnemonic

For マク, imagine a stagehand named Mack pulling the curtain: Mack -> マク, and the curtain rises for the next act.