午 wǔ
noun
: to burn; to ignite; to light
: fig. to spark off (hopes); to start (debate); to raise (hopes)
Kun Reading
午 | うま uma
noun
: seventh sign of Chinese zodiac (The Horse, 11am-1pm, south, May)
午 | ひる hiru
adverbial noun | temporal noun
: noon; midday
On Reading
ゴ go
午後[后] wu3hou4: afternoon [午後 | ごご gogo: afternoon; p.m.]
午前 wu3qian2: morning; a.m. [ごぜん gozen]
午飯[饭] wu3fan4: lunch
[午飯 | ごはん gohan OR 昼ご飯 | ひるごはん hirugohan: lunch; midday meal]
午餐 wu3can1: lunch; luncheon [ごさん gosan: lunch; dinner]
午休 wu3shui4: noon break; nap; siesta
午夜 wu3ye4: midnight
午馬[马] wu3 ma3: Year 7, year of the Horse (e.g. 2002)
[午年 | うまどし umadoshi: year of the horse]
上午 shang4wu3: morning
中午 zhong1wu3: noon; midday
下午 xia4wu3: afternoon; p.m.
傍午 bang4wu3: towards noon; around midday
端午節 [端午节] duan1 wu3 jie2 OR 端午 duan1 wu3
OR
重午 chong2wu3: Dragon Boat Festival (5th day of the 5th lunar month)
[端午 | たんご: Boy’s Day celebration (May 5th) (one of the five annual festivals)]
象形 Pictographic.
Picture of a pestle.
假借 Phonetic Loan.
Original form of 杵 (chu3: pestle).
Look-alike:
午: 7th earthly branch: 11 a.m.-1 p.m., noon, 5th solar month (6th June-6th July), year of the Horse
[kun: うま uma, ひる hiru. on: ゴ go]
千 qian1: thousand; many, numerous, very; (cant.) cheater, swindler
[kun: ち chi. on: せん sen]
牛 niu2: cow, ox, bull, radical 93
[kun: うし ushi. on: ぎゅう gyuu]
年 nian2: year; a person’s age
[kun: とし toshi; とせ tose. on: ねん nen]
Examples:
列車は午後2時半に出る。
れっしゃはごご2じはんにでる ressha wa gogo 2 jiban ni deru
The train leaves at 2:30 p.m
我喜歡睡午覺
wo3 xi3huan shui4 wu3jiao4
I love taking afternoon naps.
Resources: Chinese Dictionary | Japanese Dictionary