摩 means “rub, scrape, wear”

ま · ma

Also: chafe, polish, grind

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

まする, さする, する

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

マ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 15 strokes

The story

A hand (手) under hemp (麻): picture palms rubbing raw hemp stalks until they soften into fiber. 摩 is rubbing and wearing away: 摩擦 is friction, 摩耗 wear, as on tires, and 摩天楼, a tower scraping heaven, is a skyscraper.

Used in 摩擦 (masatsu, friction), 摩耗 (mamou, wear), and 摩天楼 (matenrou, skyscraper)

More from Grip, Rub & Twist

• 撲 strike
• 抽 draw out
• 据 set in place
• 擦 rub
• 把 grasp
• 挿 insert
• 抹 rub out
• 搾 squeeze
• 拭 wipe
• 貼 stick
• 捻 twist
• 剝 peel

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