Japanese

Pronunciation

• On'yomi: Goon
• IPA^(key): [rjɯᵝːme̞]

Noun

竜馬 ‎(shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai kanji 龍馬, hiragana りゅうめ, romaji ryūme)

1. (idiomatic) an excellent horse, a very fast horse
2. (shogi) a promoted bishop

Synonyms

Etymology 2

Alteration of ryūme above, using the kan'yōon reading of ma for the 馬 character.

Pronunciation

• On'yomi
• IPA^(key): [rjɯᵝːma̠]

Noun

竜馬 ‎(shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai kanji 龍馬, hiragana りゅうま, romaji ryūma)

1. (shogi) a promoted bishop

Usage notes

The ryūma reading is common, but might be considered by some to be less technically correct than the ryūme reading.^[1]

Synonyms

Etymology 3

Shift in pronunciation ryūme above. The kan'on for both characters, so probably a re-borrowing from a later stage of Middle Chinese.

Pronunciation

• On'yomi: Kan'on
• IPA^(key): [rjo̞ːba̠]

Noun

竜馬 ‎(shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai kanji 龍馬, hiragana りょうば, romaji ryōba)

1. (idiomatic) an excellent horse, a very fast horse

Usage notes

This is a homophone with the synonymous spelling 良馬 ‎(ryōba, literally “good horse”).

Synonyms

Etymology 4

Alteration of ryūme above, using the kan'on reading of ryō for the 竜 character.

Pronunciation

• On'yomi
• (Tokyo) りょ​うめ [ryóꜜòmè] (Atamadaka - [1])^[2]
• IPA^(key): [rjo̞ːme̞]

Noun

竜馬 ‎(shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai kanji 龍馬, hiragana りょうめ, romaji ryōme)

1. (idiomatic) an excellent horse, a very fast horse

Synonyms

Etymology 5

Probably an alteration of ryōba above, using the kan'yōon reading of ma for the 馬 character.

Pronunciation

• On'yomi
• IPA^(key): [rjo̞ːma̠]

Proper noun

竜馬 ‎(shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai kanji 龍馬, hiragana りょうま, romaji Ryōma)

1. A surname​.

Etymology 6

Compound of 竜 ‎(tatsu, “dragon”) +‎ の ‎(no, possessive particle) +‎ 馬 ‎(uma, “horse”).^[3][2] The no is implied in this spelling.

Pronunciation

• Kun'yomi
• IPA^(key): [ta̠t͡sɯᵝ no̞ ɯᵝma̠]

Alternative forms

• 竜の馬

Noun

竜馬 ‎(shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai kanji 龍馬, hiragana たつのうま, romaji tatsu no uma)

1. (idiomatic) an excellent horse, a very fast horse
   • c. 759, Man'yōshū (book 5, poem 808), text here

     多都乃麻乎 阿礼波毛等米牟

     たつのまを あれはもとめむ

     Tatsu no ma o / are wa motomemu

     “I would want a dragon horse...”

     (Note that the ancient form of uma was sometimes rendered as ma or muma. See the etymology at 馬 for more details.)

Synonyms

References

1. ↑ 1995, 大辞泉 (Daijisen) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, ISBN 4-09-501211-0
2. 1 2 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, ISBN 4-385-13905-9
3. ↑ 1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan