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Kanji Detail for 舞 - "to dance"

舞

  • Meaning

    舞 means "to dance." Also associated with to spin, to toy with.

    1. To dance - To perform dance.

    2. To spin - To encourage; to invigorate.

    3. To toy with - To handle as one pleases.

  • Words using 舞

    • 舞台 ぶたい Listen stage (of a theatre, concert hall, etc.); stage performance; stage production
    • 舞踊 ぶよう Listen dancing; dance
    • 見舞う みまう Listen to visit and comfort or console; to go to see (e.g. someone in hospital); to ask after (e.g. someone's health)
    • 見舞い みまい Listen visit (to someone affected by illness or misfortune); call; inquiry (about someone's health)
    • 舞台裏 ぶたいうら Listen offstage; backstage; behind the scenes
    • 舞う まう Listen to dance (orig. a whirling dance); to whirl (in the wind); to flutter (about)
    • 舞踏 ぶとう Listen dance (esp. Western style); dancing
    • 初舞台 はつぶたい Listen debut; initial stage appearance

  • Four-character idioms with 舞

    • 舞台装置 ぶたいそうち Listen stage setting
    • 椀飯振舞 おうばんぶるまい Listen lavish feast; splendid banquet; corporate largess
    • 歌舞音曲 かぶおんぎょく Listen singing, dancing and music; (public) entertainment; performing arts
    • 狂喜乱舞 きょうきらんぶ Listen boisterous dance; dancing wildly
    • 舞文曲筆 ぶぶんきょくひつ Listen twisting of the truth in one's writing; playing with text to distort the truth
    • 鼓舞激励 こぶげきれい Listen encouragement

  • Tattoo check: 舞

    • Verified meaning: to dance
    • Official Jōyō kanji — a standard character every Japanese reader recognises
    • Used in real Japanese given names (read ふわり, まい, まいん, まう)
    • Also carries these associations: to spin, to toy with

    A single kanji rarely maps one-to-one onto an English word. Read the meanings and associations above as a set — a character that fits the dictionary definition can still carry a connotation you did not intend.

  • Name readings of 舞

    Given names 舞(ふわり)Listen 舞(まい)Listen 舞(まいん)Listen 舞(まう)Listen 舞(まのい)Listen 舞(まゆ)Listen 舞(めぐる)Listen

  • Dictionary Citations

    The meaning above is based on the following sources:

    KANJIDIC2 A comprehensive Japanese-English kanji dictionary

    dance; flit; circle; wheel

    Unihan Unicode Han Database for CJK characters

    dance, posture, prance; brandish

    CC-CEDICT A Chinese-English dictionary

    to dance; to wield; to brandish

    Make Me a Hanzi Open-source Chinese character data

    to dance; to brandish

    XSZD Xuéshēng Zìdiǎn (學生字典) - Student's Dictionary

    The form of music. Holding shields, battle-axes, feathers, or flutes. Bending and stretching, bowing and raising to accompany music. What the ancients called yi dance, wan dance, etc. are this. In later generations, song and dance are often performed empty-handed. Such as saying 長袖善舞 (long sleeves help one dance well) and such. | Demonstrating martial skills with weapons is called 舞. Such as 舞劍 (sword dance) and such. | To be stirred up. When touched by something and the body is roused. Such as 抃舞 (clapping and dancing), 起舞 (rise to dance), 手舞足蹈 (dancing for joy). All are this. | To fly. Such as saying 龍翔鳳舞 (dragons soaring and phoenixes dancing). Also, lively spirit is called 飛舞 (flying and dancing). | To manipulate. Twisting right and wrong so that it cannot be investigated. Such as 舞文 (twist the law), 舞弊 (engage in fraud).

  • Onyomi

    tip

    bu(ブ) ブ

  • Kunyomi

    tip

    ma.u(ま-う) ま-う

    mai(まい) まい

  • Strokes

    tip

    15 strokes

  • Radical

    tip

    舛 (maiashi・masu)

  • Related Keywords

    to dance to spin to toy with encourage stir up whirl play with twirl pirouette flutter sway perform revolve rotate gyrate

Sentences including 舞

  • I'm on my way to visit a friend who's in the hospital.

  • I went to the hospital to see my mother.

  • I went to the hospital to see my wife.

  • I went to the hospital to visit him.

  • Today's play really moved me.

  • He is being kind today.

  • I can't stand his behavior anymore.

  • I saw a kabuki play in tokyo.

  • There is a book on dancing on the desk.

  • You'll make the same mistake if things continue in this way.

Sentences from Japanese classical masterpieces

More kanji with the radical 舛 (maiashi・masu)

See all kanji with this radical →

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