音読み: マク・バク
訓読み: none *
画数: 13 strokes
部首: 巾（はば）
Meaning
Curtain, tent, act, or scene. Often used metaphorically to refer to eras, stages in history, or the beginning and end of events or performances.
- 幕 — curtain, theatrical act
- 開幕 — opening of an event or performance
- 閉幕 — closing of an event
- 幕府 — shogunate government
- 幕内 — top division of sumo wrestlers
幕 is a phono-semantic compound: the radical 巾 (cloth) represents the meaning — a physical curtain or drape — while 莫 (pronounced バク) gives the sound. Historically, it referred to curtains used in plays or military tents, later evolving into terms for eras or scenes.
試合は 開幕したばかりです。
The match has just started.
江戸幕府は、260年間も 続いた。
The Edo Shogunate lasted for over 260 years.
マク is used for general contexts like theatrical or event-related curtains, while バク appears in historical or political terms like 幕府. The two readings reflect both literal and metaphorical uses of the character.