1.
intermission between acts of a play
The break between acts or scenes of a play, opera, or other stage performance, when the curtain is down and the audience can rest.
幕間に飲み物を買った。
I bought a drink during the intermission.
幕間は二十分ある。
The intermission is twenty minutes long.
幕間にロビーで知り合いに偶然会った。
During the intermission, I happened to run into an acquaintance in the lobby.
Refers specifically to the pause between acts of a stage performance. The reading まくあい is standard; まくま is also heard. Originally a theater term from kabuki.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 幕間に休憩する: to rest during the intermission
- 幕間の時間: the length of the intermission
- 幕間狂言: a short interlude piece performed between acts
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 休憩: break; rest — a general break, not tied to a performance
- インターミッション: intermission — the loanword, used for films and concerts