WORD DETAIL
按摩
あんま
Examples
Included kanji
Study notes
1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning
- Structure:
按摩(あんま) means traditional massage by pressing and kneading the body and can evoke its practitioner in historical contexts. - Basic usage: A traveler at an old inn requests a massage; a masseur in historical fiction works carefully on a guest's shoulders.
2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions
- Massage requested as a service and headword embedded in an occupation
- In
按摩を頼む, massage is the requested service; in按摩師, the headword forms part of an occupational term. Both examples are framed historically.
- In

