おばけ

お

ば

け

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

noun

ghost; apparition; goblin; monster; demon

usually written using kana alone

General term for supernatural beings, from traditional yōkai to modern ghosts. Often used in children's stories or to describe something spooky.

夜よ中なかにお化ばけが出でるという噂うわさがある。

There's a rumor that a ghost appears at midnight.

子こ供どもの頃ころ、お化ばけの話はなしを聞きくのが怖こわかった。

When I was a child, I was scared to hear ghost stories.

2

noun

something unusually large

usually written using kana alone

Colloquial use to describe something that is surprisingly or comically large, often with a nuance of exaggeration.

このカボチャ、お化ばけみたいに大おおきいね。
This pumpkin is huge, like a monster!

Usage patterns

お化ばけが出でるfor a ghost/monster to appear
この森もりは夜よるになるとお化ばけが出でるらしい。
They say ghosts appear in this forest at night.
お化ばけを怖こわがるto be afraid of ghosts
弟おとうとはお化ばけをとても怖こわがる。
My little brother is really scared of ghosts.

Expressions

お化ばけの話はなしghost story; spooky tale

Kanji

化change, take the form of, influence

Related words

幽ゆう霊れいN1sense 1
幽霊 specifically means the spirit of a dead person, often with a tragic story, while お化け is a broader, more child-friendly term for any spooky creature.
妖よう怪かい sense 1
妖怪 is the formal or folkloric term for traditional Japanese monsters, whereas お化け is the more colloquial, everyday word covering the same ground.
化ばけ物ものN1sense 1
化け物 is a slightly stronger, more literary word for a monster or beast, while お化け is the softer, more common term used especially with children.
ゴースト
お化け is a casual, everyday word for a ghost or monster (often in children's contexts), while ゴースト sounds more foreign or technical.

Word family

お化ばけ暦ごよみ
illegal private calendar (Edo period)
お化ばけ話ばなし
ghost story; spooky story
お化ばけ屋や敷しき
haunted house (real) · haunted house (attraction)
お化ばけ番

Written forms

お化ばけ
Standard kanji spelling; widely used in news and everyday writing.
オバケ
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling used for emphasis, in manga, or to give a spooky feel.

Etymology

Derived from the honorific prefix お (o-) and the noun 化け (bake), meaning 'transformation' or 'disguise', from the verb 化ける (bakeru, 'to transform'). Originally referred to a shape-shifting spirit.

ばん

組ぐみ

extremely popular long-running TV show

提灯ちょうちんお化ばけ

lantern ghost; demonic lantern