幕
curtain, bunting, act of play
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
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.