The kanji 膜(まく) primarily conveys the meaning of a "membrane," "film," or "layer." It often refers to a thin sheet or covering that separates or protects something.

・On-yomi (音読み): マク (maku) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): まく (maku)

⚫︎細胞膜 Translation: Cell membrane ⚫︎鼓膜 Translation: Eardrum ⚫︎皮膜 Translation: Film; coating; membrane (of skin)

The kanji 膜(まく) is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字, keisei moji). The semantic component (meaning component) is 月 (つき, tsuki), which is a simplified form of 肉 (にく, niku) meaning "flesh" or "meat". This indicates a part of the body. The phonetic component (sound component) is 莫 (ばく, baku), which indicates the sound. Together, these components suggest a thin layer or membrane, specifically referring to a membrane of the body, like a thin layer of flesh or skin.