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鬼
🇹🇼🇭🇰🇨🇳🇯🇵🇰🇷

ghost

HSK 5 N1
Society →Religion
guǐ
キ
おに、おに-
귀
Pictograph of a person (人) with the head of a ghost/demon (甶). 厶 was later added as a decorative mark.
Components
甶 human's head+ 人 person+ 厶 secret =
鬼 ghost
甶 Iconic component
fú human's head
Used here to depict the head of a ghost/demon.
人 Iconic component
rén person
man
厶
sī secret
private, secret
Notes
Similar Characters
万 ten thousand (jp)丏 parapet临 draw (simp)乘 hitch a ride亮 shiny介 introduce从 since (simp)以 by means of企 look forward to众 multitude (simp)佥 all (simp)僉 unanimous (trad)兄 elder brother先 ahead克 overcome兌 convert (trad)兑 cash (simp)兒 youngster (trad)内 inside (simp)冘 to move on
Historical Evolution
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle
(~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle
(~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle
(~1250-1000 BC)
Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)
Bronze
Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)
Bronze Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)
Bronze
Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)
Bronze Early Spring and Autumn (~700 BC)
Bronze
Early Spring and Autumn (~700 BC)
Bronze Early Warring States (~400 BC)
Bronze
Early Warring States (~400 BC)
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal
Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal
Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal
Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical
Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical
Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical
Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical
Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
鬼
Regular
Modern
Chinese
鬼 [guǐ]
ghost; demon; terrible; damnable; clever; sly; crafty; (suffix for sb with a certain vice or addiction etc); one of the 28 constellations
Japanese
醜 、 鬼 しこ 同音
  1. n-pref derogatoryrare ugly; repulsive; detestable; contemptible
  2. n-pref rare unworthy; insignificant; humble (in self-reference; oft. as しこの)
  3. noun archaic strong and frightening thing
鬼 おに 、 き 同音

noun

  1. ogre; demon; oni
  2. spirit of a deceased person
  3. ogre-like person (i.e. fierce, relentless, merciless, etc.)
  4. it (in a game of tag, hide-and-seek, etc.)
  5. astronomy Chinese "ghost" constellation (one of the 28 mansions)

prefix

  1. slang very; extremely; super-
Example Sentences
Japanese Names
鬼 おに
Oni surname
鬼 おにかつ
Onikatsu unclassified name
鬼 おにやなぎ
Oniyanagi surname
鬼 きさらぎ
Kisaragi surname
鬼 みにわ
Miniwa surname
CHINESE WORDS (196)
见鬼 [jiàn​guǐ] #1,213
curse it!
见鬼 [jiàn​guǐ] #1,213
curse it!
魔鬼 [mó​guǐ] #1,938
devil
吸血鬼 [xī​xuè​guǐ] #1,547
leech
鬼魂 [guǐ​hún] #1,950
ghost
鬼子 [guǐ​zi] #12,992
devils
小鬼 [xiǎo​guǐ] #5,024
little demon (term of endearment for a child)
酒鬼 [jiǔ​guǐ] #5,032
drunkard
胆小鬼 [dǎn​xiǎo​guǐ] #4,108
coward
胆小鬼 [dǎn​xiǎo​guǐ] #4,108
coward
186 more items
JAPANESE WORDS (162)
⭐ 吸血鬼 [きゅうけつき] #8,713
vampire
殺人鬼 [さつじんき] #13,861
bloodthirsty killer
鬼畜 [きちく] #14,668
brute
⭐ 鬼神 [きしん] #16,577
fierce god
鬼気迫る [ききせまる] #17,012
to be bloodcurdling
鬼ごっこ [おにごっこ] #17,019
tag (children's game)
悪鬼 [あっき] #17,237
evil spirit
疑心暗鬼 [ぎしんあんき] #18,355
suspicion will raise bogies
餓鬼 [がき] #20,064
brat
神出鬼没 [しんしゅつきぼつ] #23,112
appearing in unexpected places and at unexpected moments
152 more items
KOREAN WORDS (5)
귀신 #3,973
ghost; spirit
귀재
talent
마귀
devil
신출귀몰
preternatural swiftness; sudden appearance and disappearance
흡혈귀
vampire