午|うまuma[2]odaka (tail-high)

1. nounthe Horse (seventh sign of the Chinese zodiac)
2. nounhour of the Horse (around noon, 11am-1pm, or 12 noon-2pm)
3. nounsouth
4. nounfifth month of the lunar calendar

• Related正午しょうごNeutralNeutral and the most common modern word for 12 noon; 「午」 in the time sense is archaic.
• Related午刻ごこくWrittenWritten and old-fashioned word for noon, around 12 midday; 「午」 alone usually means the zodiac branch, as in 「午年」.
• Related亭午ていごWrittenWritten, elegant and archaic word for noon; rarely used today — say 「正午」 instead.
• Antonym子ねWrittenThe antonym: first of the earthly branches, the Rat, denoting north — opposed to 「午」, which denotes south.

Use 「午」 for the seventh earthly branch, the year of the Horse, or the south, as in 「午年生まれ」「子午線」; for 12 noon in modern Japanese say 「正午」; its opposite is 「子」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. うま。十二支じゅうにしの７番目ばんめ。