鬼
ghost, devil
Readings
On'yomi
- キ
Kun'yomi
- おに
- おに-
Meaning
鬼 centers on supernatural, frightening beings: ghosts, demons, or devils. It carries a sense of something eerie, monstrous, or otherworldly.
Most common words using 鬼
20 of 160- 鬼おにN3
ogre; demon; oni
- 餓鬼がき
brat; kid; urchin; little devil
- 吸血鬼きゅうけつき
vampire; bloodsucker
- 鬼畜きちく
brute; savage; fiend
- 鬼ごっこおにごっこ
tag (children's game); tig
- 鬼門きもん
the northeastern (unlucky) direction; person or thing to be avoided; the demon's gate
- 疑心暗鬼ぎしんあんき
suspicion will raise bogies; once you suspect something, everything else will look suspicious; jumping at shadows
- 鬼女きじょ
demoness; witch; ogress; she-devil
- 百鬼夜行ひゃっきやぎょう
nightly procession of monsters, spirits, etc.
- 鬼頭おにがしら
decorative black flagpole tassel made from tail hair (of a yak, horse, ox, etc.) or dyed hemp
- 鬼ヶ島おにがしま
Onigashima; island of ogres (in Japanese folklore)
- 鬼神きしん
fierce god
- 神出鬼没しんしゅつきぼつ
appearing in unexpected places and at unexpected moments; elusive; phantom
- 天邪鬼あまのじゃく
perversity; perverse person; contrary person; contrarian
- 悪鬼あっき
evil spirit; demon; devil
- 鬼才きさい
wizard; genius; remarkable talent; exceptional ability
- 又鬼またぎ
traditional winter hunters in Tōhoku; matagi
- 幽鬼ゆうき
ghost; revenant; spirit (of the dead); departed soul
- 鬼気きき
ghastly; dreadful
- 鬼子おにご
child born with teeth
Study
Etymology
鬼 is a pictograph of a monstrous figure with a large head and tail or legs. The modern form retains the stylized head (田-like top) and lower body (儿 with an added stroke).
Meaning mnemonic
The top part looks like a scary face with a horn or mark (田), and the bottom part (儿 with a stroke) looks like a crouching body with a tail. Together, 鬼 is a ghost or devil.
Reading mnemonic
For キ, imagine a ghost letting out a high-pitched 'kee!' sound: kee -> キ, and the eerie cry echoes from the demon.