Components

午 means 'noon'

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Strokes : 4    Frequency: 873   JLPT: N5    Usefulness: 1    Study set: 1-4    Grade: 2   Intermediate lesson: 5    Beginner lesson: 18   Begins 20 words   Used in 37 words   Used in 128 names   Component in 14 kanji (3 Jōyō)
Jōyō (常用)
On
   ゴ
Kun    うま noon, sign of the horse, 11AM-1PM, seventh sign of Chinese zodiac
A Joy o' Kanji essay is available for 午 - click the badge to download
See why 午 means both “noon” and “sign of the horse,” thanks to its role in a number system based on 12, not 10. (Jupiter inspired the system!) Learn to say, “first thing in the afternoon” and “I slept the whole afternoon away.” Find out about the Hour of the Horse, the Year of the Fire Horse (and its link to murderous wives), and the significance of the first Day of the Horse in February.
The essay is also included in the following Thematic Bundles
17
Windows of Time
午 更 宵 旦
Rock around the clock with these four kanji. They might seem to represent mere points in a 24-hour stretch. But as 午 appears in terms for "morning" and "afternoon," it applies to a large chunk of the day. Then 宵 takes over, generally meaning "early evening" but also sometimes "evening." We find 更 in terms for the ancient Chinese system of night watches that ran from about 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. Night ends with dawn (旦). These multipurpose kanji also symbolize parts of the year, from New Year's (旦) to late autumn (更).
⿸   () katakana 'no'; whereupon; splitting away from   dry; drying frame  
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In the most useful 10,000 words in Japanese, 午 is used 4 times, read 1 way.
Across all words in Japanese, 午 is used 33 times, read 2 ways.
Showing:
ゴ : 29 words FIND ALL
1
adverbial noun (fukushitekimeishi), noun (temporal) (jisoumeishi)
afternoon; p.m.
(click the word to view an additional 2 forms, examples and links)
うま : 4 words FIND ALL
noun
seventh sign of Chinese zodiac (The Horse, 11am-1pm, south, May)
(click the word for examples and links)
An additional 4 less common words include 午 but the reading has not yet been categorized.
Henshall: 122 (originally: 110)  Joy o' Kanji : 110  Key to Kanji: 303 

Cascading kanji view

ゴ    noon   
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katakana 'no'; whereupon; splitting away from
カン   dry; drying frame   ひ to get dry   ほ to dry (something), to air   
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