A small, mischievous supernatural creature from Japanese folklore, similar to a Western imp or goblin. Often depicted as a minor oni.
昔話には、よく小鬼が登場する。
Imps often appear in old folktales.
その小鬼はいたずら好きで、村人を困らせた。
That imp was mischievous and troubled the villagers.
Standard kanji spelling for this mythological creature.
Kana spelling is sometimes used, especially in children's contexts or when the kanji is considered difficult.
Compound of 小 (ko, 'small') and 鬼 (oni, 'demon, ogre'). The reading こおに is a straightforward combination of the kun'yomi readings of the two kanji.