馬(うま)

うま
noun
horse
1. horse
A large domesticated mammal used for riding and transport.
馬(うま)に乗(の)る。
To ride a horse.
白(しろ)い馬(うま)が走(はし)っている。
A white horse is running.
馬(うま)が合(あ)う。
To get along well (with someone).
Idiom
子供(こども)の時(とき)、馬(うま)に乗(の)ってみたかった。
When I was a child, I wanted to try riding a horse.
日本(にほん)では昔(むかし)、馬(うま)は人(ひと)や荷物(にもつ)を運(はこ)ぶために使(つか)われていた。
In the past in Japan, horses were used to carry people and goods.

馬(うま) is the standard word for horse.

READINGS:

  • うま: standalone word and kun'yomi
  • ば: in on'yomi compounds (競馬(けいば), 馬車(ばしゃ))
  • ま: in some compounds (馬(ま)小屋(ごや))

COMMON COMPOUNDS:

  • 競馬(けいば): horse racing
  • 馬車(ばしゃ): horse-drawn carriage
  • 馬力(ばりき): horsepower (also used figuratively)
  • 子馬(こうま): foal, pony
  • 乗馬(じょうば): horseback riding

IDIOMS:

  • 馬(うま)が合(あ)う: to get along well (lit. "horses match")
  • 馬(うま)の耳(みみ)に念仏(ねんぶつ): wasted advice on someone who won't listen (lit. "a prayer to a horse's ear")
  • 馬鹿(ばか): fool, idiot (originally written with the kanji for horse and deer)

COUNTER:
Horses are counted with 頭(とう): 一頭(いっとう)、二頭(にとう).

core
Added 2026.1.9 21:30 · Revised 2026.3.28 12:50
01500/01865_uma