grind, polish, sharpen
On'yomi (音読み)
- マ
Kun'yomi (訓読み)
- みが.く
- みが.き
About this kanji
The kanji 磨 represents the concept of grinding, polishing, or sharpening. It is commonly used as a verb, particularly in the form of 磨く (migaku), which means 'to polish' or 'to brush'. This kanji also appears in several important compounds; for instance, 磨耗 (mamou) means 'wear' or 'abrasion', while 研磨 (kenma) refers to 'grinding' something down. Additionally, 磨き (migaki) is a noun that indicates 'polish' as a product or process. A key point to remember is that while 磨 can be used in various contexts, it primarily refers to enhancing the smoothness or sharpness of surfaces or materials.
Built from
Example sentences
毎日、靴を磨いています。
I polish my shoes every day.
Meanings across languages
- English
- grind, polish, sharpen
- Tiếng Việt
- mài, đánh bóng, gọt giũa
- 日本語
- 磨く, 磨き
- 한국어
- 갈다, 광택내다, 날카롭게 하다
- 中文
- 磨, 抛光, 锐化
- id
- menggiling, memoles, mengasah
- th
- ขัด, ขัด, ลับ
- es
- moler, pulir, afilar
- fr
- meuler, polir, affûter
- de
- schleifen, polieren, schärfen
- pt
- moer, polir, afiá
Common compounds
- 磨耗まもうwear, abrasion
- 研磨けんまgrinding, polishing
- 磨きみがきpolish, sharpening
- 磨くみがくto polish, to grind
Want to actually learn this kanji?
The dictionary is one view. The Kanji 360 app wraps every character with mnemonic images, audio readings, stroke-order animation, story context, and SRS scheduling — free to start on iPhone, iPad, and Android.