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魔法使い (mahoutsukai) Japanese meaning: magician | Kotomora

魔ま法ほう使つかい

ま

ほ

う

つ

か

い

Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

1

magician; wizard; sorcerer; witch; mage

A person who uses magic, typically in fantasy contexts. Can refer to both male and female practitioners; gender-neutral in Japanese.

その魔ま法ほう使つかいは杖つえを振ふって呪じゅ文もんを唱となえた。

The wizard waved his wand and chanted a spell.

彼かの女じょは物もの語がたりに出でてくるような魔ま法ほう使つかいに憧あこがれている。

She admires magicians like those in fairy tales.

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉が魔ま法ほう使つかいになるfor someone to become a wizard
主しゅ人じん公こうは修しゅ行ぎょうを経へて魔ま法ほう使つかいになった。
The protagonist trained hard and became a wizard.
魔ま法ほう使つかいの弟で子しan apprentice wizard
少しょう年ねんは魔ま法ほう使つかいの弟で子しとして城しろに住すんでいる。
The boy lives in the castle as a wizard's apprentice.

Kanji

魔witch, demon, evil spirit
法method, law, rule
使use, send on a mission, order
遣dispatch, despatch, send

Related words

魔ま女じょ
魔女 specifically means a female witch, while 魔法使い is gender-neutral and can refer to a wizard of either sex.
魔ま術じゅつ師し
魔術師 often suggests a trained sorcerer or stage magician performing tricks, while 魔法使い leans toward fantasy characters who wield innate magical power.

Don't confuse with

マジシャン
マジシャン is a real-world stage performer doing tricks, whereas 魔法使い is a fantasy sorcerer or wizard with supposedly real magical powers.

Counted with

人にん
The everyday counter for people: 一人 (ひとり), 二人 (ふたり), 三人 (さんにん).
名めいN2
More formal than 人 — used for headcounts in reservations, staff lists, and announcements (5名様).

Built from

魔ま法ほう+使つかう

Written forms

魔ま法ほう使つかい
Standard kanji spelling; high frequency in news and common usage.
魔ま法ほう遣つかい
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form; 遣い is an uncommon variant of 使い.

Etymology

Compound of 魔法 (まほう, 'magic') + 使い (つかい, 'user', from 使う 'to use'). The kanji 遣い is a rare variant of 使い.