chafe, rub, polish, grind

About this kanji

The kanji 「摩」 primarily means to chafe, rub, or polish. It is often used as a verb, but can also appear in nouns. For example, the compound 摩擦 (まさつ) means friction, which refers to the resistance that occurs when two surfaces rub against each other. Another useful compound is 摩る (さする), which simply means to rub. A more advanced term is 摩天楼 (まてんろう), which translates to skyscraper, evoking the idea of tall buildings that seem to scrape the sky. An interesting note is that while 「摩」 emphasizes the motion of rubbing, it is generally not used alone in conversation.

Example sentences

• 二つの石が摩擦する音がする。

  I hear the sound of two stones rubbing together.

Meanings across languages

English

chafe, rub, polish, grind, scrape

Tiếng Việt

chà xát, cọ xát, mài giũa

日本語

摩擦, 磨く

한국어

마찰, 문지르다, 연마

中文

摩擦, 磨, 刮

id

menggosok

th

ขัด, ถู, ขัดเงา

es

frotar, pulir

fr

frotter, polir

de

scheuern, reiben, polieren

pt

esfregar

Common compounds

• 摩擦まさつfriction, rubbing, chafing
• 摩るさするto rub, to pat, to stroke
• 摩天楼まてんろうskyscraper
• 摩耗まもうwear, abrasion
• 摩洛哥モロッコMorocco
• あん摩あんまmassage (esp. anma, a traditional form of Japanese massage), masseur, masseuse
• 護摩ごまhoma, Buddhist rite of burning wooden sticks to ask a deity for blessings
• 削摩さくまdenudation, ablation, scraping