麻 — “Hemp / Flax / Numb” in Japanese

Master (高手)ま, まあ, あさ

Radical ⿇ · radical 200 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Hemp / Flax / Numb” in Japanese is 麻, read ma, maa, asa (ま, まあ, あさ). It is a Jōyō kanji taught in Japanese secondary school (junior & senior high) — the 高手 · Master tier beyond the grade 1–6 Kyōiku set, and appears in words such as 麻酔 (anesthesia).

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What does 麻 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	麻
Meaning	Hemp / Flax / Numb
Readings	ま, まあ, あさ
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	麻酔 (anesthesia)

How to read 麻

麻 is read ma (ま) or maa (まあ) or asa (あさ) depending on the word.

Words with 麻

麻酔

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Kanji read the same way as 麻

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

Updated: 2026-08-28