Skip to main content

馬: horse

By January 31, 2014January 28th, 2021Chinese Word, Japanese Word, Language-Learning
horse 2014
 

馬 [马] mǎ

noun | radical 187
: horse

Kun Reading

馬 | うま uma

noun
: horse
: promoted bishop (shogi)

On Reading

ば ba

ま ma


 Usage:

馬年 ma3nian2: Year of the Horse (2014)
OR 午馬 wu3ma3: Year 7, year of the Horse
馬路 ma3lu4: street; road
[ばじ baji: family name OR まじ maji: family name; place name OR うまじ umaji: place name]
馬虎 ma3hu: careless; sloppy; negligent; skimpy
迷離馬虎[迷离马虎] mi2li2 ma3hu: muddle-headed
馬桶 ma3tong3: chamber pot; toilet bowl
馬子 ma3zi3: bandit; brigand; gambling chip; (slang) girl; chick; babe
[まご mago: packhorse driver]
馬匹 ma3pi3: horse [ばひつ bahitsu: horses]
馬房 ma3fang2: horse stable [ばぼう babou: stall (in a stable)]
馬鹿 ma3 lu4: red deer; fool; idiot
[ばか baka: fool; idiot
: trivial matter; folly; absurdity;
: (Na-adjective) foolish; stupid; dull; absurd; ridiculous]
馬鈴薯 ma3 ling2 shu3: potato
[じゃがいも jagaimo OR ばれいしょ bareisho]
馬來西亞 ma3lai2xi1ya4 OR 大馬 da4ma3: Malaysia
馬六甲 ma3 liu4 jia3: Malacca or Melaka (town and state in Malaysia)
出馬 chu1ma3: to set out (on a campaign); to stand for election; to throw one’s cap in the ring
[しゅつば shutsuba: going on horseback; going in person; running for election]
羅馬[罗马] luo2 ma3: Rome; capital of Italy [ローマ Rooma: Rome]
河馬 he2ma3: hippopotamus [かわうま kawauma OR かば kaba]
騎馬[骑马] qi2ma3: to ride a horse [きば kiba: horse riding]
拍馬屁 pai1 ma3 pi4: to flatter; to fawn on; to butter sb up; toadying; boot-licking

Japanese expression | idiom
馬鹿馬鹿しい | ばかばかしい baka baka shii
: absurd; ridiculous; silly; ludicrous; nonsensical; asinine; foolish

馬鹿やろう | ばかやろう bakayarou
: (derogatory term) idiot

馬鹿の壁 | ばかのかべ baka no kabe
: phenomenon that perfect reasoning fail if an idiot cannot understand

馬鹿よけ | ばかよけ baka yoke
: foolproof

馬鹿も一芸 | ばかもいちげい baka moichi gei
: even a fool has one talent

馬鹿の一つ覚え | ばかのひとつおぼえ baka no hitotsu oboe
: He that knows little often repeats it

小馬鹿にする | こばかにする ko baka ni suru
: to scoff; to downplay; to treat someone disparagingly; to treat someone with contempt

*牛頭馬頭 | ごずめず gozumezu
: horse-headed and ox-headed demons in the Buddhist hell

馬は馬連れ | うまはうまづれ uma wa uma zure
: Birds of a feather flock together

**馬脚を露す | ばきゃくをあらわす ba kyaku o arawasu
: to reveal the true nature

***白馬の王子 | はくばのおうじ haku ba no ouji
: knight on a white horse; Prince Charming

馬の耳に念仏 | うまのみみにねんぶつ uma no mimi ni nenbutsu
: not heeding what others say; in one ear and out the other; praying into a horse’s ear

人には添うて見よ馬には乗って見よ | ひとにはそうてみようまにはのってみよ hito ni wa soute miyo uma ni wa notte miyo
: you can’t judge someone until you’ve spent time with them, just like you can’t judge a horse until you’ve ridden it

****馬を水辺に導く事は出来るが馬に水を飲ませる事は出来ない | うまをみずべにみちびくことはできるがうまにみずをのませることはできない uma o mizu beni michibiku koto wa dekiru ga uma ni mizu o nomaseru koto hadekinai
: You may take a horse to the water, but you cannot make him drink

Chinese idiom
馬到成功 ma3 dao4 cheng2 gong1
: to win instant success

龍馬精神 long2 ma3 jing1 shen2
: old but still full of vitality

做牛做馬 zuo4 niu2 zuo4 ma3
: lit. to work like an ox, to work like a horse; fig. to work extremely hard

心猿意馬 xin1 yuan2 yi4 ma3
: lit. heart like a frisky monkey, mind like a cantering horse: fig. capricious (derog.); to have ants in one’s pants; hyperactive; adventurous and uncontrollable
[しんえんいば shin en iba: (being unable to control) one’s worldly desires and passions]

意馬心猿 yi4 ma3 xin1 yuan2
: indecisive, wavering
[いばしんえん iba shin en: (being unable to control) one’s worldly desires and passions]

竹馬之交 zhu2 ma3 zhi1 jiao1
: childhood friend

青梅竹馬 qing1 mei2 zhu2 ma3
: lit. green plums and hobby-horse: fig. innocent children’s games; childhood sweethearts; a couple who grew up as childhood friends

*牛頭馬面 niu2 tou2 ma3 mian4
: oxen head and horse face underworld deities in Buddhist hell

**露出馬腳 lu4 chu1 ma3 jiao3
: to reveal the cloven foot: to unmask one’s true nature; to give the game away

***白馬王子 bai2 ma3 wang2 zi3
: Prince Charming; knight in shining armor

走馬看花 zou3 ma3 kan4 hua1
: lit. flower viewing from horseback: fig. superficial understanding from cursory observation; to make a quick judgment based on inadequate information

千軍萬馬[千军万马] qian1 jun1 wan4 ma3
: magnificent army with thousands of men and horses: impressive display of manpower; all the King’s horses and all the King’s men

一言既出,駟馬難追 yi1 yan2 ji4 chu1, si4 ma3 nan2 zhui1
: lit. once said, a team of horses cannot unsay it: a promise must be kept

君子一言,駟馬難追 jun1 zi3 yi1 yan2 , si4 ma3 nan2 zhui1
: a nobleman’s word is his bond

又要馬兒跑,又要馬兒不吃草 you4 yao4 ma3 r5 pao3 , you4 yao4 ma3 r5 bu4 chi1 cao3
: lit. you can’t expect the horse to run fast but not let it graze: fig. you can’t have your cake and eat it, too

****牽馬到河易,強馬飲水難 qian1 ma3 dao4 he2 yi4 , qiang2 ma3 yin3 shui3 nan2
: You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink

 Etymology:


象形 Pictographic.
Picture of a horse.



“Horse” radical #187



简写 Simplified.
马. Created as generic character simplification #73 (馬 » 马) via usage of grass script form of character.



 Examples:
今年的新年是馬年。祝大家新年快了,萬事如意。 年年有余。馬到成功。恭喜發財!
This New Year is the year of the Horse. Here’s wishing everyone a Happy, Prosperous, Successful and Healthful Chinese New Year!

Resources: Chinese Dictionary | Japanese Dictionary