King's Kung-Fu& Tai Chi

Japanese symbol for “stupor”

Romaji: mahi
paralysis; palsy; stupor

In Japanese, stupor is , read (mahi).

Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.

Meanings

  1. n, vi, vs paralysis; palsy; stupor (med)
  2. n, vi, vs numbness; loss of sensation
  3. n, vi, vs standstill; state of paralysis; inability to take action

Written forms: . Readings: .

Kanji and stroke order

hemp, flax, numb
on: マ、マア
kun: あさ
11 strokes · JLPT 1
palsy, become numb, paralysed
on: ヒ
kun: しび.れる
13 strokes

Other Japanese words for “stupor”

WordReadingMeaning
ぼうぜんじしつ bouzenjishitsustupor; stupefaction; trance
ちかくまひ chikakumahistupor
こんめい konmeistupefaction; stupor; unconsciousness
そうしん soushinabsent-mindedness; stupor; stupefaction
こんめいじょうたい konmeijoutaibefuddled (bewildered, confused) state; stupor

Related words

Words that share a kanji.

WordReadingMeaning
まやく mayakunarcotic; drug; dope
ますい masuianaesthesia; anesthesia
たいま taimahemp
あさぬの asanunohemp cloth; linen
マージャン maajanmahjong; mah-jongg
しびれる shibireruto become numb; to go to sleep (e.g. a limb)
しびれ shibirenumbness; going to sleep (of a limb); pins and needles
しょうにまひ shounimahipoliomyelitis; polio; infantile paralysis

See also: Chinese symbol for “stupor”.

Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.