抹 means “rub out, powder”

まつ · matsu

Also: rub, paint, erase

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

マツ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 8 strokes

The story

A hand (扌) beside 末, the tip or end: picture rubbing something down to the last fine grain. 抹茶 is tea leaves stone-ground to powder and whisked in the tea ceremony, and 抹消 rubs a name out of a record.

Used in 抹茶 (matcha, powdered green tea), 抹消 (masshou, erasure), and 一抹 (ichimatsu, a touch of)

More from Grip, Rub & Twist

• 搾 squeeze
• 拭 wipe
• 貼 stick
• 捻 twist
• 剝 peel
• 塡 fill
• 摘 pick out
• 振 wave
• 握 grip
• 携 carry
• 扱 handle
• 摩 rub

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

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