間ま

ま

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 500

Meanings

noun

pause; interval of time; timing

Refers to a brief gap in time, a pause in speech or action, or the sense of timing in an interaction or performance.

少すこし間まを置おいてから、彼かれは答こたえた。
After a short pause, he answered.
会かい話わに気きまずい間まができた。
An awkward pause arose in the conversation.

noun

space; gap; spacing

Used for physical spacing or a gap left between things or people, especially in phrases such as 間を空ける.

隣となりの人ひとと間まを空あけて座すわってください。
Please sit with some space between you and the person next to you.

noun

room

Often appears in compounds or set room names, especially for Japanese-style rooms, such as 茶の間, 奥の間, and 六畳間.

家か族ぞくは夕ゆう食しょくのあと茶ちゃの間までテレビを見みた。
After dinner, the family watched TV in the living room.
二に階かいの六ろく畳じょう間まに布ふ団とんを敷しいた。
I laid out a futon in the six-tatami room upstairs.

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Usage patterns

間まを置おくto leave a pause/interval before doing something
彼かれは少すこし間まを置おいてから答こたえた。
He paused for a moment before answering.
間まを空あけるto leave a space/gap between things
机つくえと机つくえの間まを少すこし空あけて置おいてください。
Please leave a bit of space between the desks.
〈数かず〉畳じょうの間まa room of a given number of tatami mats
彼かの女じょは六ろく畳じょうの間まに住すんでいる。
She lives in a six-mat room.
間まが持もたないto be unable to fill an awkward silence or pause
会かい話わが途と切ぎれて間まが持もたなくなった。
The conversation stopped and there was an awkward silence.
間まを詰つめるto close up the gap/space between things
もう少すこし間まを詰つめて座すわってください。
Please sit a little closer together.
間まが空あくfor a gap or interval to open up (in space or time)
二人ふたりの間まが少すこし空あいた。
A little distance opened up between the two of them.

Expressions· 50

あっという間まにin an instant; in a flash; in no time at all
あっという間まan instant; a split second; no time at all
いつの間まにwhen; at what point
束つかの間まmoment; brief time; fleeting instant
板いたの間まwooden floor; room with a wooden floor · changing room (at a public bath)

Show 8 more

間まに合あわせるmake do with; manage with; get by with · get done in time; have ready by; finish in time for
瞬またたく間まbrief moment; blink of an eye
控ひかえの間まanteroom; antechamber; waiting room
見みる間まにin the blink of an eye; before one's eyes; quickly
謁えっ見けんの間まthrone room; audience chamber
ままあるnot uncommon; happen fairly often; occur with some frequency
間まがいいlucky; fortunate; timely; convenient
間まがないnot long has passed since ...; soon after ...

See all 50 in Explore →

Kanji

間interval, space

Related words

時じ間かんN5sense 1
時間 is the general word for time or duration, while 間 (ま) more narrowly names a pause, gap, or sense of timing within an action.
隙すき間まN2sense 2
隙間 specifically means a narrow physical gap or crevice, whereas 間 (ま) covers spacing more broadly, including between people or in abstract arrangements.
部屋へやN5sense 3
部屋 is the everyday, general word for a room, while 間 (ま) as 'room' appears mainly in set compounds and traditional Japanese room names like 茶の間.

Don't confuse with

間あいだN5
間 read あいだ is a separate word meaning 'the space/time between two things' and is used with two reference points (AとBの間), while 間 read ま stands alone as a noun for a pause, gap, or room.

Word family· 135

間ま違ちがいN3
mistake; error; blunder · mishap; accident; trouble · indiscretion; improper conduct
仲なか間まN3
companion; friend; comrade; colleague · group; circle; set; gang · member of the same category; fellow (in a class/family)
間ま違ちがうN3
be wrong; be mistaken; be incorrect · make a mistake; do incorrectly; get wrong · mistake A for B; confuse
間ま違ちがえるN4
make a mistake; get wrong; do incorrectly · mistake A for B; confuse
間まに合あうN4
be in time; make it on time · suffice; be enough; do the job

Show 25 more

手て間まN3
time and effort; labor; trouble; time-consuming task · labor charge; pay for labor; wages
昼ひる間まN4
daytime; during the day
まもなくN3
soon; shortly; before long · having no time to ...; with no time to ...
いつの間まにかN3
before one knows it; unnoticed; without realizing
合あい間まN2
interval; break; pause; spare moment
間ま近ぢかN1
near; close; nearby · approaching; imminent; just around the corner
谷たに間ま
valley; ravine; gorge · cleavage (of breasts) · gap; blind spot; trough; lull
間ま抜ぬけN1
stupid; foolish; idiotic · fool; idiot; blockhead
間ま際ぎわN1
just before; on the verge of; at the point of · edge (just before something)
居い間まN3
living room (Western style); sitting room
狭間はざま
interval; space between; gap · valley; gorge; ravine · loophole; crenel; eyelet · diagonal gap (Go); move in a diagonal gap
茶ちゃの間まN1
living room; family room
絶たえ間ま
interval; break; pause · gap; rift; cleft
土ど間まN1
dirt floor; earthen floor room · pit; parterre
間ま取どりN2
floor plan; room layout
間ま口ぐち
frontage; width of a building or plot · breadth; scope; range
間ま合あい
pause; interval; break · distance; range; reach · suitable time; right moment; appropriate opportunity · distance between opponents (kendo)
片かた手て間ま
spare time; free time; leisure time
広ひろ間ま
hall; large room; reception room
仲なか間ま外はずれN2
being left out; ostracism; exclusion from a group
間ま引びき
thinning out; pruning; culling; sub-sampling · infanticide
垣間見かいまみる
peep at; catch a glimpse of
岩いわ間ま
among rocks; rocky crevice; between rocks
朝あさ間ま
during the morning; in the morning
間ま借がりN1
renting a room; lodging

See all 135 in Explore →

Written forms

間まUsage63%
Standard kanji spelling for ま. The same kanji has other common readings such as あいだ and かん in other entries; this word covers the reading ま.
まUsage36%
マUsage<1%

Etymology

A native Japanese noun ま conventionally written with 間, a kanji associated with intervals and spaces. The exact historical derivation of the word is uncertain.