Onyomi: ブ · Kunyomi: -ま.う, ま.う, まい · Meanings: circle, dance, flit, wheel
Kanji for circle, dance, flit, wheel
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The kanji 舞 comes from an old picture of dancers wearing long sleeves that swirl through the air. In ancient times, dances were performed with dramatic sleeve movements, and early forms of this character showed two hands holding long sleeves, lifted and waved rhythmically. The upper parts represent those extended sleeves, rising and falling in curved motions, while the lower strokes suggest the steps or feet of the dancer moving beneath them. This combination created the image of a graceful performance—people moving their arms and bodies in a coordinated, expressive way. Over centuries, this lively, flowing scene evolved into 舞, the kanji for “dance.”
舞 shows long sleeves swinging through the air and feet moving beneath them, capturing the graceful motion of a person dancing.
Imagine someone with big flowing sleeves, waving their arms and stepping lightly—those sweeping sleeve movements become the shape of 舞, the kanji for dance.
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Meta |
|---|---|---|---|
| 舞 | まい | dancing, dance | common Noun |
| 舞台 | ぶたい | stage (of a theatre, concert hall, etc.), (stage) performance | common JLPT-N3 Noun |
| 舞う | まう | to dance (orig. a whirling dance) | common JLPT-N1 Godan verb with 'u' ending, Intransitive verb |
| 舞踏 | ぶとう | dance (esp. Western style), dancing | common Noun, Suru verb, Intransitive verb |
| 舞踊 | ぶよう | dancing, dance | common Noun |
| 舞い上がる | まいあがる | to soar, to fly high, to be whirled up | Godan verb with 'ru' ending, Intransitive verb |
| 舞踏会 | ぶとうかい | ball, dance | Noun |
| 舞い降りる | まいおりる | to swoop down, to glide down, to fly down, to land gently (on), to alight (on) | Ichidan verb, Intransitive verb |
| 舞台効果 | ぶたいこうか | stage effects | Noun |
| 舞台中継 | ぶたいちゅうけい | televised broadcast of a stage performance | Noun |