馬 (うま, uma) Japanese meaning: horse

馬 (うま, uma) Japanese meaning: horse | Kotomora

Kanji

馬horse

Related words

競けい馬ばN2sense 2
競馬 is the full, standard word for horse racing, while 馬 is a casual shorthand often used when talking about betting or winning/losing on the races.
竜りゅう馬め sense 3
竜馬 is the full shogi term for a promoted bishop, while 馬 is the common shortened form players use during a game.
駒こま
馬 is the everyday modern word for 'horse', while 駒 is an archaic or poetic term for the same animal.
競きょう走そう馬ば
馬 is the general word for horse, while 競走馬 specifically means a horse bred and trained for racing.
白はく馬ば
馬 is the generic word for any horse, while 白馬 specifies a horse with a white coat.

Don't confuse with

乗じょう馬ば sense 1
乗馬 means horse-riding (the activity or a riding horse), whereas 馬 by itself just means the animal without implying riding.
午うま
馬 is the everyday word for the animal 'horse', while 午 is the zodiac/calendrical sign associated with the horse, though both share the reading うま.
ロバ
馬 refers to a horse, while ロバ refers to a donkey, a smaller and different equine species.

Counted with

頭とうN3
For large animals (horses, cattle, large dogs) and animals counted as livestock or specimens.
匹ひきN3
In everyday conversation 匹 is often used for 馬, though 頭 is the more standard counter.

Word family· 100

馬うま主ぬし
horse owner; owner of a horse · registered owner (of a racehorse)
シマウマ
zebra
野や次じ馬うま
rubbernecks; curious onlookers; gawkers
馬うま乗のり
horseback riding · sitting astride; straddling

Written forms

馬うまUsage95%
Standard high-priority kanji spelling for the animal and for several established extended uses.
ウマUsage3%
kana-only spelling
Attested katakana spelling; often used for the animal name in biological, emphatic, or stylized contexts.
うまUsage1%
Hiragana spelling is practical in learner-facing, children’s, or informal writing, especially for the animal.

Etymology

Native Japanese うま written with the kanji 馬. The kanji spelling is conventionally associated with the meaning 'horse'; no further historical derivation is asserted here.

馬うま

Meanings

Usage patterns

Expressions· 23