舞

舞 U+821E, 舞 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-821E ← 舝 [U+821D] CJK Unified Ideographs 舟 → [U+821F]

Translingual

Han character

舞 (Kangxi radical 136, 舛+8, 14 strokes in Chinese, 15 strokes in Japanese, cangjie input 人廿弓戈手 (OTNIQ), four-corner 8025₁, composition ⿱⿳𠂉卌一舛)

Derived characters

• 儛 𢷵 㵲 𤪕 䒉 躌 𦨂

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 1008, character 16
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 30342
• Dae Jaweon: page 1465, character 16
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 865, character 10
• Unihan data for U+821E

Chinese

trad.		舞
simp. #		舞
2nd round simp.		午
alternative forms		儛 𦐀 𦏶 𮎁 𣄳 儛 𦐀 𦏶 𮎁 𣄳 𦨅

Glyph origin

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

	Old Chinese
墲	*m̥ʰaː, *maː, *ma
橅	*maː
膴	*hmaː, *ma, *maʔ
幠	*hmaː
鄦	*hmaʔ
撫	*m̥ʰaʔ
無	*ma
瞴	*ma, *maʔ
蕪	*ma
璑	*ma
鷡	*ma
譕	*ma
憮	*ma, *maʔ
舞	*maʔ
廡	*maʔ
嫵	*maʔ
甒	*maʔ
潕	*maʔ
儛	*maʔ

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

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *maʔ) : abbreviated phonetic 無 (OC *ma) + semantic 舛 (“steps, feet in convergent direction”). This character was coined to preserve the original meaning of 無, which is "dancing"; hence, the upper component also adds part of the meaning. A conservative variant is 𦨅.

Etymology

Perhaps related to Tibetan བྲོ (bro, “dance (noun)”), or related to 巫 (OC *ma, “shaman”) (Schuessler, 2007).

Pronunciation

Rime
Character	舞
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	明 (4)
Final (韻)	虞 (24)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Closed
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	文甫切
Baxter	mjuX
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/mɨoX/
Pan Wuyun	/mioX/
Shao Rongfen	/mioX/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/muə̆X/
Li Rong	/mioX/
Wang Li	/mĭuX/
Bernhard Karlgren	/mi̯uX/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	wǔ
Expected Cantonese Reflex	mou5

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	舞
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	wǔ
Middle Chinese	‹ mjuX ›
Old Chinese	/*k.m(r)aʔ/
English	dance (v.)
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	舞
Reading #	1/1
No.	13126
Phonetic component	無
Rime group	魚
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	武
Old Chinese	/*maʔ/

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): wǔ (wu³)

  (Zhuyin): ㄨˇ

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): mou⁵ / mou^5-2

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): mu²

• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): vú / mú

  (Hailu, HRS): vu^ˊ / mu^ˊ

  (Meixian, Guangdong): vu³ / mu³

• Northern Min (KCR): ǔ
• Eastern Min (BUC): ū
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): bú

  (Teochew, Peng'im): bhu² / mong⁶ / mou⁶

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁶vu; ⁶wu

---

• 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: mou⁵ / mou^5-2
    • Yale: móuh / móu
    • Cantonese Pinyin: mou⁵ / mou^5-2
    • Guangdong Romanization: mou⁵ / mou^5-2
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mou̯¹³/, /mou̯¹³⁻³⁵/

Note:

• mou5-2 - “to mess with; to fiddle with”.

• • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: mu²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ᵐbu⁵⁵/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: vú / mú
    • Hakka Romanization System: vu^ˋ / mu^ˋ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: vu³ / mu³
    • Sinological IPA: /vu³¹/, /mu³¹/
  • (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
    • Hakka Romanization System: vu^ˊ / mu^ˊ
    • Sinological IPA: /vu²⁴/, /mu²⁴/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: vu³ / mu³
    • Sinological IPA: /ʋu³¹/, /mu³¹/
Note:
• mú/muˊ/mu3 - “to mess with; to fiddle with”.
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: ǔ
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /u²¹/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: ū
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /u³³/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: bú
    • Tâi-lô: bú
    • Phofsit Daibuun: buo
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei): /bu⁵³/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /bu⁴¹/
    • IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang): /bu⁵⁵⁴/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: bhu² / mong⁶ / mou⁶
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: bú / mŏng / mŏu
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /bu⁵²/, /moŋ³⁵/, /mou³⁵/
Note:
• bhu2 - literary;
• mong6/mou6 - vernacular (dialectal).
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ⁶vu; ⁶wu
    • MiniDict: vu^去; wu^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³vu; ³hhu
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /vu²³/, /ɦu²³/

---

• Middle Chinese: mjuX

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*k.m(r)aʔ/

  (Zhengzhang): /*maʔ/

Definitions

舞

1. to dance (move rhythmically)

   載歌載舞／载歌载舞  ―  zàigēzàiwǔ  ―  to sing and dance; festive celebrations

   • 孔子謂季氏：「八佾舞於庭，是可忍也，孰不可忍也？」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     孔子谓季氏：「八佾舞于庭，是可忍也，孰不可忍也？」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Kǒngzǐ wèi Jì shì: “Bāyì wǔ yú tíng, shì kě rěn yě, shú bùkě rěn yě?” [Pinyin]

     Confucius said of the head of the Ji family, who had eight rows of pantomimes in his area, "If he can bear to do this, what may he not bear to do?"

2. dance (performance art); dancing (Classifier: 個／个 m; 支 m)

   芭蕾舞  ―  bālěiwǔ  ―  ballet

   中國舞／中国舞  ―  Zhōngguó wǔ  ―  Chinese dance

   跳一個舞／跳一个舞  ―  tiào yīge wǔ  ―  to perform a dance

3. to dance with something in one's hands

   舞獅／舞狮  ―  wǔshī  ―  to perform a lion dance

   舞火龍／舞火龙  ―  wǔ huǒlóng  ―  (please add an English translation of this usage example)

4. to wield; to brandish; to shake

   舞劍／舞剑  ―  wǔ jiàn  ―  to brandish a sword

5. (literary or in compounds) to fly; to flutter

   眉飛色舞／眉飞色舞  ―  méifēisèwǔ  ―  to beam with joy

6. (literary or in compounds) to play with

   舞弊  ―  wǔbì  ―  to engage in fraudulent practices

   舞文弄墨  ―  wǔwénnòngmò  ―  (please add an English translation of this usage example)

7. (Cantonese, Hakka, Hokkien) to mess with; to play with; to tease

   啲新仔畀同事舞到陀陀擰。 [Cantonese, trad.]
   啲新仔畀同事舞到陀陀拧。 [Cantonese, simp.]

   di¹ san¹ zai² bei² tung⁴ si⁶ mou^5-2 dou³ to⁴ to^4-2 ning⁶. [Jyutping]

   The colleagues messed with the newbies big time.

   • 長透分一大兜事情舞著無結無煞 [Hailu Hakka, trad.]
     长透分一大兜事情舞着无结无煞 [Hailu Hakka, simp.]

     From: 2022, 愛客樂 [iColor], 來去尞

     chong teuˇ bun` rhid tai⁺ deu` sii⁺ cin mu´ doˇ mo gad mo sad [Taiwanese Hakka Romanization System]

     always messed with by a bunch of things with no way out

8. (Cantonese, Hokkien) to fiddle with; to be busy with; to handle; to operate

   我舞咗半日都舞唔掂部麵包機。 [Cantonese, trad.]
   我舞咗半日都舞唔掂部面包机。 [Cantonese, simp.]

   ngo⁵ mou^5-2 zo² bun³ jat⁶ dou¹ mou^5-2 m⁴ dim⁶ bou⁶ min⁶ baau¹ gei¹. [Jyutping]

   I've worked on this for half a day, but I still haven't figured out how this bread machine works.

9. a surname: Wu

Synonyms

• (to dance):

edit

• 圍囊 / 围囊 (Dungan)
• 比舞 (bi³ wu³) (Sichuanese)
• 舞蹈 (wǔdǎo)
• 起舞 (qǐwǔ) (to begin dancing)
• 跳舞 (tiàowǔ)

• (dance): 舞蹈 (wǔdǎo)
• (to wield):

edit

• 振
• 揮動 / 挥动 (huīdòng)
• 揮舞 / 挥舞 (huīwǔ)
• 耍 (shuǎ)
• 舞動 / 舞动 (wǔdòng) (formal)

• (to flutter):

edit

• 招展 (zhāozhǎn)
• 飄動 / 飘动 (piāodòng)
• 飄揚 / 飘扬 (piāoyáng)

• (to fly):

edit

• 翱翔 (áoxiáng)
• 飛翔 / 飞翔 (fēixiáng)
• 飛舞 / 飞舞 (fēiwǔ)
• 飛行 / 飞行 (fēixíng)

• (to play with):

edit

• 反變 / 反变 (Xiamen Hokkien, Zhangzhou Hokkien)
• 把玩 (bǎwán)
• 搬弄 (bānnòng)
• 擺劃 / 摆划 (bǎihua) (regional)
• 擺弄 / 摆弄
• 擺撥 / 摆拨 (Xiamen Hokkien, Zhangzhou Hokkien)
• 玩弄
• 簸弄 (bǒnòng)
• 鼓搗 / 鼓捣 (gǔdao) (dialectal)

Compounds

• 不舞之鶴 / 不舞之鹤
• 且歌且舞 (qiěgēqiěwǔ)
• 交誼舞 / 交谊舞 (jiāoyìwǔ)
• 交際舞 / 交际舞 (jiāojìwǔ)
• 伯歌季舞
• 伴舞 (bànwǔ)
• 佾舞 (yìwǔ)
• 健力舞
• 健舞
• 儺舞 / 傩舞
• 公莫舞
• 共舞 (gòngwǔ)
• 冰舞 (bīngwǔ)
• 凌波舞
• 前歌後舞 / 前歌后舞
• 劍舞 / 剑舞
• 化裝舞會 / 化装舞会
• 原舞者
• 古典舞蹈
• 呼拉舞
• 喜躍抃舞 / 喜跃抃舞
• 國際舞臺 / 国际舞台
• 圓舞曲 / 圆舞曲 (yuánwǔqǔ)
• 土風舞 / 土风舞
• 地下舞廳 / 地下舞厅
• 大會舞 / 大会舞
• 大腿舞
• 天魔舞
• 奇舞
• 妙舞 (miàowǔ)
• 妙舞清歌
• 婆娑起舞
• 婆羅門舞 / 婆罗门舞
• 孔雀舞 (kǒngquèwǔ)
• 小步舞曲
• 山地舞
• 山雞舞鏡 / 山鸡舞镜 (shānjīwǔjìng)
• 巾舞
• 帗舞
• 康康舞 (kāngkāngwǔ)
• 廣場舞 / 广场舞 (guǎngchǎngwǔ)
• 張牙舞爪 / 张牙舞爪 (zhāngyáwǔzhǎo)
• 彩帶舞 / 彩带舞
• 徇私舞弊
• 扇舞
• 手舞足蹈 (shǒuwǔzúdǎo)
• 扎手舞腳
• 打竹舞
• 扭扭舞
• 抃舞 (biànwǔ)
• 抃風舞潤 / 抃风舞润
• 掌上舞
• 掀舞
• 揮舞 / 挥舞 (huīwǔ)
• 插舞
• 支手舞腳 / 支手舞脚
• 方塊舞 / 方块舞 (fāngkuàiwǔ)
• 方舞
• 旱船舞
• 有氧舞蹈
• 札手舞腳 / 札手舞脚
• 析律舞文
• 杯盤舞 / 杯盘舞
• 查手舞腳 / 查手舞脚
• 標準舞 / 标准舞
• 樂舞 / 乐舞 (yuèwǔ)
• 歌樓舞館 / 歌楼舞馆
• 歌臺舞榭 / 歌台舞榭 (gētáiwǔxiè)
• 歌舞 (gēwǔ)
• 歌舞伎 (gēwǔjì)
• 歌舞作樂 / 歌舞作乐
• 歌舞劇 / 歌舞剧 (gēwǔjù)
• 歌舞團 / 歌舞团
• 歌舞場 / 歌舞场
• 歌舞昇平 / 歌舞升平 (gēwǔshēngpíng)
• 歌舞片
• 歌鶯舞燕 / 歌莺舞燕
• 歡忻鼓舞 / 欢忻鼓舞
• 歡欣鼓舞 / 欢欣鼓舞 (huānxīngǔwǔ)
• 民族舞
• 民間歌舞 / 民间歌舞
• 波爾卡舞 / 波尔卡舞
• 波蘭舞曲 / 波兰舞曲
• 清歌妙舞
• 漫天飛舞 / 漫天飞舞
• 燕舞鶯啼 / 燕舞莺啼
• 營私舞弊 / 营私舞弊 (yíngsīwǔbì)
• 爵士舞 (juéshìwǔ)
• 狐步舞
• 獅舞 / 狮舞
• 現代舞 / 现代舞 (xiàndàiwǔ)
• 百獸率舞 / 百兽率舞
• 皇舞
• 盤舞 / 盘舞
• 眉飛色舞 / 眉飞色舞 (méifēisèwǔ)
• 社交舞
• 神飛色舞 / 神飞色舞
• 竹竿舞
• 群舞 (qúnwǔ)
• 群魔亂舞 / 群魔乱舞 (qúnmóluànwǔ)
• 翔舞
• 翩翩起舞
• 聞雞起舞 / 闻鸡起舞 (wénjīqǐwǔ)
• 胡旋舞 (húxuánwǔ)
• 能歌擅舞
• 舞伴 (wǔbàn)
• 舞伴兒 / 舞伴儿
• 舞刀 (wǔdāo)
• 舞刀躍馬 / 舞刀跃马
• 舞判
• 舞劇 / 舞剧 (wǔjù)
• 舞動 / 舞动 (wǔdòng)
• 舞勺
• 舞團 / 舞团
• 舞場 / 舞场 (wǔchǎng)
• 舞壇 / 舞坛
• 舞女 (wǔnǚ)
• 舞姿 (wǔzī)
• 舞孃 / 舞娘 (wǔniáng)
• 舞客
• 舞廳 / 舞厅 (wǔtīng)
• 舞弄 (wǔnòng)
• 舞弊 (wǔbì)
• 舞態生風 / 舞态生风
• 舞技
• 舞文巧法
• 舞文巧詆 / 舞文巧诋
• 舞文弄法
• 舞文弄墨 (wǔwénnòngmò)
• 舞文枉法
• 舞曲 (wǔqǔ)
• 舞會 / 舞会 (wǔhuì)
• 舞林高手
• 舞棍
• 舞榭歌台 (wǔxiègētái)
• 舞榭歌樓 / 舞榭歌楼
• 舞榭歌臺 / 舞榭歌台 (wǔxiègētái)
• 舞樂 / 舞乐
• 舞步 (wǔbù)
• 舞池 (wǔchí)
• 舞燕歌鶯 / 舞燕歌莺
• 舞爪張牙 / 舞爪张牙
• 舞獅 / 舞狮 (wǔshī)
• 舞筆弄文 / 舞笔弄文
• 舞美
• 舞者 (wǔzhě)
• 舞臺 / 舞台 (wǔtái)
• 舞臺劇 / 舞台剧 (wǔtáijù)
• 舞臺秀 / 舞台秀
• 舞臺藝術 / 舞台艺术
• 舞藝 / 舞艺 (wǔyì)
• 舞衫歌扇
• 舞譜 / 舞谱 (wǔpǔ)
• 舞蹈 (wǔdǎo)
• 舞蹈家 (wǔdǎojiā)
• 舞蹈治療 / 舞蹈治疗 (wǔdǎo zhìliáo)
• 舞蹈病
• 舞蹈症 (wǔdǎozhèng)
• 舞迷
• 舞雩 (wǔyú)
• 舞馬之災 / 舞马之灾
• 舞鸞歌鳳 / 舞鸾歌凤
• 舞龍 / 舞龙 (wǔlóng)
• 色飛眉舞 / 色飞眉舞
• 花棒舞
• 花棍舞
• 芭蕾舞
• 茶舞
• 草裙舞 (cǎoqúnwǔ)
• 街舞 (jiēwǔ)
• 西陵歌舞
• 謾舞 / 谩舞
• 象舞
• 貪汙舞弊 / 贪污舞弊
• 起舞 (qǐwǔ)
• 足蹈手舞
• 跳舞 (tiàowǔ)
• 跨鼓舞
• 踢踏舞 (tītàwǔ)
• 踢躂舞 / 踢跶舞
• 蹈舞
• 載歌且舞 / 载歌且舞
• 載歌載舞 / 载歌载舞 (zàigēzàiwǔ)
• 輕歌慢舞 / 轻歌慢舞
• 輕歌曼舞 / 轻歌曼舞 (qīnggēmànwǔ)
• 連廂舞 / 连厢舞
• 邀舞
• 邊疆舞 / 边疆舞
• 酣歌恆舞 / 酣歌恒舞
• 醉舞狂歌
• 金錢棒舞 / 金钱棒舞
• 長袖善舞 / 长袖善舞 (chángxiùshànwǔ)
• 開放舞臺 / 开放舞台
• 隊舞 / 队舞
• 雲門舞集 / 云门舞集
• 霹靂舞 / 霹雳舞 (pīlìwǔ)
• 鞞舞
• 項莊舞劍 / 项庄舞剑
• 飄舞 / 飘舞 (piāowǔ)
• 飆舞 / 飙舞
• 飛舞 / 飞舞 (fēiwǔ)
• 馬舞之災 / 马舞之灾
• 鳳舞龍飛 / 凤舞龙飞
• 鵲笑鳩舞 / 鹊笑鸠舞
• 鶯歌燕舞 / 莺歌燕舞 (yīnggēyànwǔ)
• 鶴舞 / 鹤舞
• 鼓舞 (gǔwǔ)
• 鼓舞歡欣 / 鼓舞欢欣
• 龍燈舞 / 龙灯舞
• 龍飛鳳舞 / 龙飞凤舞 (lóngfēifèngwǔ)

Descendants

• → Vietnamese: múa

Japanese

Shinjitai	舞
Kyūjitai [1]	舞󠄂 舞+󠄂? (Hanyo-Denshi) (Moji_Joho)
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Kanji

See also:

Category:Japanese terms spelled with 舞

舞

(Jōyō kanji)

1. dance
2. flit
3. circle
4. wheel

Readings

• Go-on: む (mu)
• Kan-on: ぶ (bu, Jōyō)
• Kun: まう (mau, 舞う, Jōyō)^{←まふ (mafu, 舞ふ, historical)}、まい (mai, 舞い)^{←まひ (mafi, 舞ひ, historical)}、まい (mai, 舞, Jōyō)^{←まひ (mafi, 舞, historical)}
• Nanori: まい (mai)

Compounds

• 舞(ぶ)楽(がく) (bugaku)
• 舞(ぶ)台(たい) (butai)
• 舞(ぶ)踏(とう) (butō, “butoh”)
• 舞(ぶ)踊(よう) (buyō)
• 舞(まい)子(こ), 舞(まい)妓(こ) (maiko)
• 舞(まい)姫(ひめ) (maihime): a female dancer
• 舞(ま)い戻(もど)る (mai modoru): to come back
• 歌舞伎(かぶき) (kabuki, “kabuki”)
• 小(こ)舞(まい)壁(かべ) (komaikabe): traditional wattle and daub wall made of coarse mud plaster and straw

Noun

舞(まい) • (mai) ^{←まひ (mafi)?}

1. a type of traditional Japanese dance consisting of simple and quiet movements

See also

• 踊(おど)り (odori)

Proper noun

舞(まい) • (Mai) 

1. a female given name

References

1. “舞”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎ (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2025

Korean

Hanja

舞 (eumhun 춤출 무 (chumchul mu))

1. hanja form^? of 무 (“dance, posture, prance”)
2. hanja form^? of 무 (“brandish”)

Vietnamese

Han character

舞: Hán Nôm readings: vũ, vụ, vỗ, thủy/thuỷ

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