末

末 U+672B, 末 ← 未[U+672A] CJK Unified Ideographs 本 →[U+672C] Stroke order

末 (Kangxi radical 75, 木+1, 5 strokes, Cangjie input 木十 (DJ), four-corner 50900, composition ⿻一木)

• 㭆, 㭐, 茉, 唜
• 妺, 帓, 抹, 沫, 昩, 枺, 㶬, 䏞, 皌, 眜, 砞, 秣, 袜, 粖, 䍪, 靺, 韎, 䬴, 䱅 (𱇚), 䴲

• ま
• マ

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 509, character 6
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 14420
• Dae Jaweon: page 891, character 1
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1150, character 2
• Unihan data for U+672B

simp. and trad. 末

Ideogram (指事): a tree (木) with its top highlighted with an extra stroke, implying the meaning of “apex”; contrast 本, 朱.

末

1. tip; treetop 末梢 ― mòshāo ― tip; end
   • 明足以察秋毫之末，而不見輿薪。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]明足以察秋毫之末，而不见舆薪。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]From: Mencius, c. 4th century BCE, translated based on James Legge’s versionMíng zúyǐ chá qiūháo zhī mò, ér bùjiàn yúxīn. [Pinyin][M]y eyesight is sharp enough to examine the point of an autumn hair, but I do not see a cart-load of firewood.
2. (by extension) effect; result 本末 ― běnmò ― cause and effect
3. late or the last stage; conclusion; close Antonyms: 首 (shǒu), 初 (chū), 始 (shǐ) 月末 ― yuèmò ― month-end 明末清初 ― Míng mò Qīng chū ― late-Ming and early-Qing era 文末提到 ― wén mò tídào ― Toward the end of the article, it was mentioned…
4. final; the last; concluding; closing; terminal Antonyms: 首 (shǒu), 初 (chū), 始 (shǐ) 末代 ― mòdài ― the last (in one’s lineage) 末日 ― mòrì ― doomsday; apocalypse 末法時期／末法时期 ― mò fǎ shíqī ― Dharma-ending age
5. insignificant; trivial; inferior; low-priority; low-class 捨本逐末／舍本逐末 ― shěběnzhúmò ― pursuing the unimportant while neglecting the essential
   • 此大會也，曷為末言爾？ [Classical Chinese, trad.]此大会也，曷为末言尔？ [Classical Chinese, simp.]From: Commentary of Gongyang, c. 206 BCE- 9 CECǐ dàhuì yě, héwèi mò yán ěr? [Pinyin]This was an important convention; why was it framed with words suggesting insignificance?
6. powder; fine particulate matter 粉末 ― fěnmò ― powder
7. (literary, dated) not; none; no (negative indicator) Synonyms: 未 (wèi), 莫, 無 / 无
   • 雖欲從之，末由也已。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]虽欲从之，末由也已。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge’s versionSuī yù cóng zhī, mò yóu yě yǐ. [Pinyin]Though I wish to follow and lay hold of it, I really find no way to do so.
   • 子曰：「不曰『如之何如之何』者，吾末如之何也已矣。」 [Classical Chinese, trad. and simp.]From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge’s versionZǐyuē: “Bù yuē ‘rúzhīhé rúzhīhé’ zhě, wú mò rúzhīhé yě yǐ yǐ.” [Pinyin]The Master said, “When a man is not in the habit of saying, ‘What shall I think of this? What shall I think of this?’ I can indeed do nothing with him.”
   • 末不亦樂乎堯舜之知君子也？ [Classical Chinese, trad.]末不亦乐乎尧舜之知君子也？ [Classical Chinese, simp.]From: Commentary of Gongyang, c. 206 BCE- 9 CEMò bùyì lèhū Yáoshùn zhī zhī Jūnzǐ yě? [Pinyin]Is it not (literally, “(a double negative)”) also a joyful truth, that the ancient sages like Yao and Shun had known that a Noble One would go on to keep their teachings alive?
8. mo (a category of male roles in traditional Chinese theatre and opera)

末

1. Same as 麼／么 (me).

末 (Northern Wu)

1. Used to mark a conditional subordinate clause. 要是儂一家頭拿勿到末，叫個人來幫忙。 [Shanghainese, trad.]要是侬一家头拿勿到末，叫个人来帮忙。 [Shanghainese, simp.]5iau-zy 6non 7iq-ka-deu 6nau-veq-tau-meq 5ciau-gheq 6gnin 6le 1paon-maon [Wugniu]If you can’t carry it on your own, ask for someone to help.
   • 儂勿去蘇州末，要告訴我一聲。 [Shanghainese, trad.]侬勿去苏州末，要告诉我一声。 [Shanghainese, simp.]6non 8veq-chi 1su-tseu-meq 5iau 5kau-su 6ngu 7iq-san [Wugniu]If you’re not going to Suzhou, let me know.
2. Used to mark the topic in a topic-comment construction.
   • 新衣裳末，我已經買了兩件。 [Shanghainese, trad.]新衣裳末，我已经买了两件。 [Shanghainese, simp.]1shi-i-zaon-meq 6ngu 5i-cin 6ma-leq 6lian-ci [Wugniu]As for the new clothes, I’ve already bought two of them.

(Fourth grade kyōiku kanji)

1. tip, top
2. end, terminal

• Go-on: まっ (ma’)、まつ (matsu, Jōyō)
• Kan-on: ばつ (batsu, Jōyō)
• Kun: うら (ura, 末)、うれ (ure, 末)、おわり (owari, 末わり)←をはり (wofari, 末はり, historical)、すえ (sue, 末, Jōyō)←すゑ (suwe, 末, historical)

Kanji in this term 末 すえGrade: 4 kun’yomi

From Old Japanese. First attested in the Kojiki of 712.[1]

• (Tokyo) すえ [sùé] (Heiban – [0])[2][3][4]
• IPA(key): [sɨe̞]

末(すえ) • (sue) ←すゑ (suwe)?

1. [from 720] the tip or top of a plant
   1. a twig or shoot Synonym: 枝先 (edasaki)
   2. a treetop Synonym: 梢 (kozue)
2. [from 712] the tip or end of something Synonyms: 先 (saki), 先端 (sentan)
3. [from 720] the top or peak of a mountain Synonyms: 頂 (itadaki), 山頂 (sanchō)
4. [from 1205] the edge or verge of a road or field Synonym: 外れ (hazure)
5. [from early 1000s] a descendant Synonyms: 足末 (anasue), 子孫 (shison)
6. [from 720] the future, later, after Synonyms: (future) 未来 (mirai), (future) 将来 (shōrai), (later) 後 (nochi)
7. [from early 800s] the end of a period of time Synonyms: 終わり (owari), 末期 (makki)
8. [from early 1000s] (by extension) old age, the end period of a lifetime Synonym: 晩年 (bannen, literally “evening years”)
9. [from 1435] (by extension) a degraded world, a world with low morals and corrupt politics Synonym: 末の世 (sue no yo)
10. [from late 1500s] the end of a month, the latter third of a month Synonym: 下旬 (gejun)
11. [from early 1000s] some time considerably later
12. [from early 1000s] the result, outcome, or trace, remains of something having been done Synonyms: (result) 結果 (kekka), 名残 (nagori, “trace, remains”) 思(おも)い悩(なや)んだ末(すえ)omoinayanda sueat the end of deliberation
13. [from 1120] the direction in which someone has gone or will go Synonym: 方向 (hōkō)
14. [from early 1000s] the youngest or last child Synonym: 末子 (sueko)
15. [from early 1000s] youth, childhood Synonym: 幼少 (yōshō)
16. [from early 1000s] the lowest seat, the seat at the foot of a table; the lowest rank Synonyms: 末座 (matsuza), 末席 (masseki), 下座 (shimoza)
17. [from early 900s] the last two seven-mora stanzas or lines of a 短歌 (tanka) poem Synonyms: 下の句 (shimo no ku), 下句 (shimoku)
18. [from early 1000s] the end of a sentence or word Synonyms: (of a sentence) 文末 (bunmatsu), (of a word) 語尾 (gobi)
19. [from mid-1000s] the latter portion of a book or serial Synonym: 後編 (kōhen)
20. [from 1182] the origin, the starting point Synonyms: (origin) 元 (moto), (starting point) 起点 (kiten)
21. [from 1435] (historical) the interior rooms of a palace or manor where maids worked; a maid who worked in such a household Synonym: 御末 (osue)
22. [from 1682] a low class or grade; an item of low class or grade Synonyms: (low class or grade) 下級 (kakyū), (item of low class or grade) 下級品 (kakyūhin), (low class or grade) 下等 (katō), (item of low class or grade) 下等品 (katōhin)
23. [unknown] something minor, a trifle
24. [from 1179] downstream Synonyms: 川下 (kawashita), 下流 (karyū)
25. [from late 800s] (kagura, music) in a 神楽 (kagura) performance, the seats on the right side facing the altar or shrine; the performers playing in these seats Synonym: 末方 (suekata)

Kanji in this term 末 うらGrade: 4 kun’yomi

From Old Japanese. First attested in the Man’yōshū completed in 759.[1]

• IPA(key): [ɯ̟ɾa̠]

末(うら) • (ura)

1. [from 759] (archaic) the tip or top of a plant
   1. a twig or shoot Synonym: 枝先 (edasaki)
   2. a treetop Synonym: 梢 (kozue)
2. [from late 1500s] (archaic) the tip or end of something Synonyms: 末 (sue), 先 (saki), 先端 (sentan)

Kanji in this term 末 うれGrade: 4 kun’yomi

From Old Japanese. First attested in the Man’yōshū completed in 759.[1]

• IPA(key): [ɯ̟ɾe̞]

末(うれ) • (ure)

1. [from 759] (archaic) the tip or top of a plant
   1. a twig or shoot Synonym: 枝先 (edasaki)
   2. a treetop Synonym: 梢 (kozue)

Kanji in this term 末 まつGrade: 4 goon

From Middle Chinese 末 (MC mat).

First attested in Japanese in 1120.[1]

末(まつ) • (matsu)

1. [from 1120] powder Synonyms: 粉 (kona), 粉末 (funmatsu)
2. [from 1804] (theater) in traditional Chinese theater, an extra, a minor part Synonym: (extra or minor part in any theatrical tradition) 端役 (hayaku)

末(まつ) • (-matsu)

1. [from at least 1911] the end of a period of time

• Appendix:Gikun_Usage_in_Meiji_Version_of_Japanese_Bible/苗裔

• “末”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎[1] (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015-2026

末 (eumhun 끝 말 (kkeut mal))

1. (끝): the end, last, low
2. (가루): flour, powder
3. (허드레): something coarse, improper, inferior, trivial
   • 1431: 鄕藥採取月令[1] 十二月 (향약채취월령 십이월, hyang-yag-chaechwi-wolryeong sib-iwol):

末: Hán Việt readings: mạt[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] 末: Nôm readings: mạt[2][5][6][7][8], mặt[1][2][8], mất[1][2][8], mắt[1][8], mắc[8], mết[2], mệt[2], mượt[2]

1. chữ Nôm form of mạt (“used in mạt cưa (“sawdust”)”)
2. chữ Nôm form of mắc (“(Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam) expensive; dear”)
3. chữ Nôm form of mắt (“eye”)
4. chữ Nôm form of mặt (“face”)
5. chữ Nôm form of mất (“to lose something; (euphemistic) to pass away”)