午 means “noon”

ご · go

Also: sign of the horse, 11AM-1PM, seventh sign of Chinese zodiac

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

うま

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ゴ

JLPT N5 · Taught in grade 2 · 4 strokes

The story

Once the zodiac sign of the horse, whose hour ran from 11 to 1, the sun's highest point. Japanese days still pivot on it: 午前 before the horse's hour, 午後 after.

Used in 午前 (gozen, a.m.), 午後 (gogo, p.m.), and 正午 (shougo, noon)

Words with 午

• 午前 (ごぜん, gozen): morning / AM
• 午後 (ごご, gogo): afternoon / PM

More from Everyday Japan

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• 曜 day of week

Learn 午 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.