Details
Stroke Order
Cultural Context
Etymology
Pictograph of horse.
Symbolism
Horse, horse racing, mounted. Represents horse.
Related Culture & Scenes
- — Riding a horse
Words & Expressions
Words written with 馬
Four-Character Compounds
意馬心猿
いばしんえん
it is hard to keep one's worldly desires and passions in check
千軍万馬
せんぐんばんば
(having experienced) many battles
南船北馬
なんせんほくば
constant travelling; constant traveling; being on the move
馬耳東風
ばじとうふう
utter indifference; talking to the wall; praying to deaf ears
鯨飲馬食
げいいんばしょく
drinking like a fish and eating like a horse; eating mountains of food and drinking oceans of liquor
牛飲馬食
ぎゅういんばしょく
heavy eating and drinking; gorging and swilling; drinking like a cow and eating like a horse
心猿意馬
しんえんいば
(being unable to control) one's worldly desires and passions
馬鹿慇懃
ばかいんぎん
overdone politeness; polite to a fault; feigned politeness
牛頭馬頭
ごずめず
horse-headed and ox-headed demons in the Buddhist hell
白馬非馬
はくばひば
sophistry; sophism; false syllogism
單槍匹馬
たんそうひつば
doing something on one's own without another's help
天馬行空
てんばこうくう
unconstrained creativity; bold and imaginative; (like a) a heavenly steed soaring across the skies
Proverbs & Idioms
馬の耳に念仏
うまのみみにねんぶつ
Buddhist chanting to a horse's ear
Wasted advice on deaf ears
馬子にも衣装
まごにもいしょう
Even a packhorse driver looks good in fine clothes
Clothes make the man
Poetry
冬の日や馬上に氷る影法師
A winter day — and on horseback, my own shadow frozen.
道のべの木槿は馬に食はれけり
The rose of Sharon by the road has been eaten by my horse.
雀の子そこのけそこのけ御馬が通る
Little sparrow, out of the way, out of the way — the horse is coming through.
Anime & Manga
範馬刃牙
Baki Hanma
A well-known work with 馬 in its Japanese title.
Related Figures & Stories
坂本龍馬
Name contains 馬
Sakamoto Ryōma was a Japanese samurai, a shishi and influential figure of the Bakumatsu, and establishment of the Empire of Japan in the late Edo…
Wikipedia司馬昭
Name contains 馬
Sima Zhao , courtesy name Zishang , was a Chinese military general, politician, and regent of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period…
Wikipedia馬場信春
Name contains 馬
Baba Nobuharu , also known as Baba Nobufusa , was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period.
Wikipedia有馬晴信
Name contains 馬
Arima Harunobu was a Japanese samurai lord who was the daimyo of Shimabara Domain and the head of the Hizen-Arima clan from Hizen Province.
WikipediaOther kanji with the same meaning
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 馬 mean in Japanese?
馬 means horse.
How do you read 馬?
On'yomi: バ (BA). Kun'yomi: うま、うま-、ま (uma, uma, ma).
How many strokes does 馬 have?
馬 has 10 strokes. Its radical is 馬 (horse).
Is 馬 a good kanji for a tattoo?
馬 is one of the kanji most often chosen for tattoos. It means horse. Read the full meaning and cultural background on this page first — some popular choices are deliberately dark.
Explore by meaning:horse