麻 (má) - Hemp — refers to the hemp plant & also means numb, tingling, or pitted/pocked surface

麻Tone 2

má ｜ 11 strokes ｜ radical:

伦妙

麻 · má

Hemp — refers to the hemp plant;

also means numb, tingling, or pitted/pocked surface;

used in words for sesame, anesthesia, and pockmarks.

Hemp — refers to the hemp plantalso means numb, tingling, or pitted/pocked surfaceused in words for sesame, anesthesia, and pockmarks.

Usage highlights

Hemp ropeSesame seedNumbnessAnesthesiaPockmarksHemp fabric

Synonyms

  • 麻木— numb; apathetic
  • 麻醉— anesthesia; to anesthetize

Antonyms

  • 清醒— clear-headed; sober
  • 光滑— smooth (antonym to pitted surface)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • My foot fell asleep (脚麻了).
  • Sesame seeds are used in cooking (芝麻).
  • Local anesthesia (局部麻醉) is used in dentistry.
  • The surface of the moon is pitted (麻面).

Collocations

  • Hemp rope(麻绳)
  • Sesame seed(芝麻)
  • Numbness(麻木)
  • Anesthesia(麻醉)
  • Pockmarks(麻子)
  • Hemp fabric(麻布)

Idioms

  • Heart numb and wood dead — apathetic(心麻木死)
  • Troubles come in pairs(麻烦不断)
  • Sesame blooms section by section — steady progress(芝麻开花节节高)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Hemp was one of the earliest cultivated plants in China, used for fiber, food, and medicine.
  • The character depicts hemp plants hanging to dry, with fibers being stripped.
  • In traditional medicine, hemp was used for various ailments, contributing to terms like anesthesia.

FAQ