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Kotomora

磨

grind, polish, scour, improve, brush (teeth)

JLPTN2StatusJōyō · secondary schoolFrequencyTop 2,000Strokes16

Readings

On'yomi

  • マ

Kun'yomi

  • みが.く
  • す.る

Nanori

  • おさむ

Meaning

磨 centers on rubbing a surface to change it: grinding, polishing, scouring, or brushing to make something smooth, clean, or better. The idea of improving through effort extends naturally to refining skills or character.

Most common words using 磨

20 of 90
  • 磨くみがく
    N5

    to polish; to shine; to burnish; to scour; to scrub; to brush (teeth); to grind (e.g. a lens)

  • 磨きみがき

    polish; burnishing

  • 歯磨きはみがき
    N2

    dental brushing; brushing one's teeth

  • 達磨だるま

    daruma; tumbling doll; round, red-painted good-luck doll in the shape of Bodhidharma, with a blank eye to be completed when a person's wish is granted

  • 研磨けんま

    grinding; polishing

  • 琢磨たくま

    polish (jewels); cultivation

  • 歯磨き粉はみがきこ

    tooth powder; toothpaste

  • 播磨はりま

    Harima (former province located in the southwestern part of present-day Hyōgo Prefecture)

  • 切磋琢磨せっさたくま

    diligent application (to work or study); cultivating one's character by studying hard

  • 百戦錬磨ひゃくせんれんま

    veteran; battle-worn; schooled by adversity in many battles; hard-bitten; rich in experience; very experienced

  • 磨り減るすりへる

    to be worn down; to wear away; to wear out

  • 練磨れんま

    training; practice; drilling; cultivation; improvement

  • 腕を磨くうでをみがく
    N2

    to polish one's skills

  • バフ研磨バフけんま

    buffing

  • 不磨ふま

    permanence; immortality

  • 不磨の大典ふまのたいてん

    immutable law (esp. the Meiji constitution); indestructible canon

  • 再研磨さいけんま

    repolishing; resharpening

  • 化学研磨かがくけんま

    chemical polishing

  • 千古不磨せんこふま

    permanence; immortality; eternity

  • 千載不磨せんざいふま

    still remaining after a thousand years; immortal

Explore all words using 磨 →

Study

Etymology

磨 combines 麻 (hemp) and 石 (stone). Historically, hemp fibers were rubbed against a stone to soften or polish them, giving the core idea of grinding or polishing.

Meaning mnemonic

Picture hemp 麻 being rubbed against a stone 石 to polish it. The stone grinds and scours the fibers, making them smooth and improved—just like brushing teeth or refining a skill.

Reading mnemonic

For マ, imagine a mother polishing a stone with hemp: ma -> マ, and her grinding motion makes the surface shine.