丸(まる)

まる
noun
circle, round shape
1. circle
A round shape or figure.
丸(まる)を描(か)く。
To draw a circle.
正(ただ)しい答(こた)えに丸(まる)をつける。
Put a circle mark on the correct answer.
月(つき)が真ん丸(まんまる)だ。
The moon is perfectly round.
2. whole, entire
Used as a prefix meaning complete or whole.
丸(まる)ごと食(た)べる。
To eat something whole.
丸(まる)一日(いちにち)かかった。
It took a whole day.
りんごを丸(まる)かじりした。
I bit into the apple whole.

丸(まる) has two core meanings: a circle/round shape, and 'whole/entire' as a prefix.

SENSE 1 - CIRCLE:

  • ○ (丸(まる)): the circle mark used for 'correct' in Japan (opposite of × for 'wrong')
  • 丸(まる)を描(か)く: to draw a circle
  • 丸(まる)をつける: to mark with a circle (mark as correct)

SENSE 2 - WHOLE/ENTIRE:

COMPOUNDS:

IN NAMES:
The suffix 丸(まる) appears in ship names (日本丸(にっぽんまる)) and traditional boys' names (牛若丸(うしわかまる)).

Related Words

Antonym: ×/バツ (X mark/wrong)
Related: 四角(しかく) (square, rectangle)
general
Added 2026.1.9 21:03 · Revised 2026.5.23 2:10
02000/02167_maru