午

See also: 牛 and 干

午 U+5348, 午 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5348 ← 升 [U+5347] CJK Unified Ideographs 卉 → [U+5349]

Translingual

Stroke order

Stroke order

Han character

午 (Kangxi radical 24, 十+2, 4 strokes, cangjie input 人十 (OJ) or 難人十 (XOJ), four-corner 8040₀, composition ⿱𠂉十 or ⿰丿干)

Derived characters

• 仵 吘 𡉦 㞰 忤 汻 迕 𢨵 旿 㬳 杵 玝 𥄭 𥘪 𥾿 許(许) 啎 𨳱 年 缶 𦈢 𦬶 㷏

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 156, character 4
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 2703
• Dae Jaweon: page 354, character 1
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 406, character 1
• Unihan data for U+5348

Chinese

simp. and trad.		午

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 午
Shang	Western Zhou	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Characters in the same phonetic series (午) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
卸	*sŋjaːs
汻	*hŋaːŋʔ
滸	*hŋaːʔ
午	*ŋaːʔ
仵	*ŋaːʔ
旿	*ŋaːʔ
忤	*ŋaːs
迕	*ŋaːs
杵	*ŋ̊ʰjaʔ
籞	*ŋaʔ
蘌	*ŋaʔ
篽	*ŋaʔ
禦	*ŋaʔ, *ŋas
許	*hŋaʔ
御	*ŋas

Pictogram (象形) – a pestle (now written 杵). Unrelated to 干. See the central component of 舂 and 秦 in their original version.

Etymology 1

Norman (1985) proposed connection with Austroasiatic; Ferlus (2013) noted a "[g]ood correspondence" between Proto-Vietic *m-ŋəːʔ (whence Vietnamese ngựa) and Old Chinese reconstructions like *m-qʰˁaʔ (Baxter-Sagart) and *ᵀs.ŋaʔ (Ferlus). Also compare Proto-Hlai *hŋaːʔ (“horse”), Proto-Kra *ŋja C (“horse”).

Alternatively, Smith (2011) proposed 午 (OC *ŋaːʔ)'s cognacy with 啎 (OC *ŋaːs) "to meet head on" and 御 (OC *ŋas) "to meet in (battle)" and suggested that "the moon at its full phase opposes the sun directly in the sky, meaning *ŋaaʔ 午 is probably to be glossed, given *-ʔ , ‘facing stage’". Schuessler (2007) regarded 午 (OC ŋâh) "to go against" as a mere graphic variant of 啎 and thus deemed the sense "to go against" distinct from the "earthly branch" sense.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): wǔ (wu³)

  (Zhuyin): ㄨˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): ng⁵
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): ńg

  (Meixian, Guangdong): n³

• Northern Min (KCR): ngù
• Eastern Min (BUC): ngū
• Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): gou³
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): ngó͘ / gó͘ / ngō͘ / gō͘

  (Teochew, Peng'im): ngou²

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁵u; ⁶wu; ⁶ng

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: wǔ
    • Zhuyin: ㄨˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: wǔ
    • Wade–Giles: wu³
    • Yale: wǔ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: wuu
    • Palladius: у (u)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /u²¹⁴/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: ng⁵
    • Yale: ńgh
    • Cantonese Pinyin: ng⁵
    • Guangdong Romanization: ng⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋ̍¹³/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: ńg
    • Hakka Romanization System: ng^ˋ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: ng³
    • Sinological IPA: /ŋ̍³¹/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: n³
    • Sinological IPA: /n̩³¹/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: ngù
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋu⁴²/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: ngū
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋu³³/
• Puxian Min
  • (Putian)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: gou³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɔu⁴⁵³/
  • (Xianyou)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: gou³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɔu³³²/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Changtai, Zhao'an, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ngó͘
    • Tâi-lô: ngóo
    • Phofsit Daibuun: ngor
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Changtai, Taipei): /ŋɔ̃⁵³/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /ŋɔ̃⁴¹/
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou, Hui'an, Yongchun)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: gó͘
    • Tâi-lô: góo
    • Phofsit Daibuun: gor
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /ɡɔ⁵⁵⁴/
    • IPA (Yongchun): /ɡɔ⁵³/
    • IPA (Hui'an): /ɡɔ⁵⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangpu, Zhao'an, Zhangzhou, dated in Xiamen)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ngō͘
    • Tâi-lô: ngōo
    • Phofsit Daibuun: ngo
    • IPA (Zhangzhou, Xiamen): /ŋɔ̃²²/
    • IPA (Zhangpu): /ŋɔ̃u³³/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou, Xiamen, Changtai, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: gō͘
    • Tâi-lô: gōo
    • Phofsit Daibuun: go
    • IPA (Changtai): /ɡeu²²/
    • IPA (Taipei, Kaohsiung): /ɡɔ³³/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou, Xiamen): /ɡɔ²²/

Note:

• ngó͘/gó͘ — literary;
• ngō͘ — popular (俗) variant;
• gō͘ — chiefly in 午時.

• (Teochew)
  • Peng'im: ngou²
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: ngóu
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋou⁵²/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ⁵u; ⁶wu; ⁶ng
    • MiniDict: u^去; wu^去; ng^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ²u; ³hhu; ³hhngg
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /u³⁴/, /ɦu²³/, /ŋ̍²³/

Note:

• 2u/3hhu - literary;
• 3ngg - vernacular, used in 端午.

---

• Middle Chinese: nguX

Rime
Character	午
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	疑 (31)
Final (韻)	模 (23)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	疑古切
Baxter	nguX
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ŋuoX/
Pan Wuyun	/ŋuoX/
Shao Rongfen	/ŋoX/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ŋɔX/
Li Rong	/ŋoX/
Wang Li	/ŋuX/
Bernhard Karlgren	/ŋuoX/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	wǔ
Expected Cantonese Reflex	ng5

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*[m].qʰˤaʔ/, /*m-qʰˤaʔ/

  (Zhengzhang): /*ŋaːʔ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	午	午
Reading #	1/2	2/2
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	wǔ	wǔ
Middle Chinese	‹ nguX ›	‹ nguX ›
Old Chinese	/*[m].qʰˁaʔ/	/*m-qʰˁaʔ/
English	7th earthly branch	resist; cross-wise
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	午
Reading #	1/1
No.	13169
Phonetic component	午
Rime group	魚
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	五
Old Chinese	/*ŋaːʔ/

Definitions

午

1. the seventh of twelve earthly branches:
   1. (historical or astrology) the seventh year of the Jovian orbital cycle
   2. (archaic) the fifth month of the Chinese traditional calendar
   3. (historical or archaic) the "Chinese" or "double hour" from 11 am to 1 pm
   4. noon (precisely)

Coordinate terms

• (Chinese earthly branches) 地支 (dìzhī); 子, 丑 (chǒu), 寅 (yín), 卯 (mǎo), 辰 (chén), 巳 (sì), 午 (wǔ), 未 (wèi), 申 (shēn), 酉 (yǒu), 戌, 亥 (hài) ^{(Category: zh:Chinese earthly branches)}

Hypernyms

• (as an earthly branch): 地支 (dìzhī)
• (as precisely noon): 小時／小时 (xiǎoshí), 時候／时候 (shíhou)

Compounds

• 下午 (xiàwǔ)
• 上午 (shàngwǔ)
• 下午茶 (xiàwǔchá)
• 中午 (zhōngwǔ)
• 交午
• 亭午 (tíngwǔ)
• 亭午夜分
• 傍午 (bàngwǔ)
• 午井 (Wǔjǐng)
• 午供
• 午前 (wǔqián)
• 午夜 (wǔyè)
• 午夜牛郎
• 午宴 (wǔyàn)
• 午後／午后 (wǔhòu)
• 午日 (Wǔrì)
• 午時／午时 (wǔshí)
• 午正 (wǔzhèng)
• 午炮
• 午牌 (wǔpái)
• 午睡 (wǔshuì)
• 午覺／午觉 (wǔjiào)
• 午錯／午错
• 午門／午门 (wǔmén)
• 午間／午间 (wǔjiān)
• 午飯／午饭 (wǔfàn)
• 午餐 (wǔcān)
• 卓午
• 卯酉子午
• 向午
• 子午卯酉
• 子午線／子午线 (zǐwǔxiàn)
• 子午蓮／子午莲
• 工作午餐
• 庭午
• 打午尖
• 旁午
• 晌午
• 晌午歪
• 正午 (zhèngwǔ)
• 營養午餐／营养午餐
• 甲午戰爭／甲午战争 (Jiǎwǔ Zhànzhēng)
• 當午／当午
• 祁奚舉午／祁奚举午
• 端午 (Duānwǔ)
• 端午節／端午节 (Duānwǔjié)
• 紅日當午／红日当午
• 舛午
• 蜂午並起／蜂午并起
• 西午 (Xīwǔ)
• 過午／过午
• 重午
• 題鳳題午／题凤题午
• 餉午／饷午

 

Etymology 2

For pronunciation and definitions of 午 – see 舞 (“to dance; dance; dancing; etc.”). (This character is the second-round simplified form of 舞).

Notes: Simplified Chinese is mainly used in Mainland China, Malaysia, and Singapore. Traditional Chinese is mainly used in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.

References

• “午”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎^[1], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

Japanese

Kanji

午

(Second grade kyōiku kanji)

1. noon

Readings

• Go-on: ご (go, Jōyō)
• Kan-on: ご (go, Jōyō)
• Kun: うま (uma, 午)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
午
うま Grade: 2
kun'yomi

From 馬 (uma, “horse”).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) うま [ùmáꜜ] (Odaka – [2])
• IPA^(key): [ɯ̟ma̠]

• Homophone: 馬

Proper noun

午(うま) • (Uma) 

1. the Horse, the seventh of the twelve Earthly Branches

   Hypernyms: 十二支, 地支

   Coordinate terms: 子, 丑, 寅, 卯, 辰, 巳, 午, 未, 申, 酉, 戌, 亥

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
午
ご Grade: 2
on'yomi

From Middle Chinese 午 (ngu^X).

Proper noun

午(ご) • (Go) 

1. the Horse, the seventh of the twelve Earthly Branches

   Hypernyms: 十二支, 地支

   Coordinate terms: 子, 丑, 寅, 卯, 辰, 巳, 午, 未, 申, 酉, 戌, 亥

Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 午 (MC nguX).

Historical Readings
Dongguk Jeongun Reading
Dongguk Jeongun, 1448	ᅌᅩᆼ〯 (Yale: ngwǒ)

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [o̞(ː)]
• Phonetic hangul: [오(ː)]
  • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

Hanja

Wikisource

午 (eumhun 낮 오 (nat o))

1. hanja form^? of 오 (“noon; daytime”) [affix]

Compounds

Compounds

• 오후 (午後, ohu, “afternoon”)
• 오전 (午前, ojeon, “morning; a.m.”)
• 단오 (端午, dano)
• 오찬 (午餐, ochan)
• 정오 (正午, jeong'o, “noon”)
• 하오 (下午, hao)
• 갑오 (甲午, gabo)
• 오수 (午睡, osu)
• 오시 (午時, osi)

References

• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典. [2]

Vietnamese

Han character

午: Hán Nôm readings: ngọ, ngỏ, ngõ

1. chữ Hán form of Ngọ (“seventh of the twelve earthly branches”).

   Hypernyms: 地支, 十二支

   Coordinate terms: 子, 丑, 寅, 卯, 辰, 巳, 午, 未, 申, 酉, 戌, 亥

Compounds

• 丙午 (Bính Ngọ)
• 壬午 (Nhâm Ngọ)
• 庚午 (Canh Ngọ)
• 戊午 (Mậu Ngọ)
• 甲午 (Giáp Ngọ)