邪魔
xiémó
The English word "demon" can be translated into Chinese in several ways, most commonly as 邪魔 (xiémó). Wiktionary also lists 邪神 (xiéshén) and 魔鬼 (móguǐ).
Meaning: evil being (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 邪魔 | xiémó |
| 邪神 | xiéshén |
| 魔鬼 | móguǐ |
| 惡魔 / 恶魔 | èmó |
| 妖魔 | yāomó |
What does it mean word for word?
The word 邪魔 is composed of 邪 (evil/heterodox) and 魔 (demon/magic).
Which one should you use?
魔鬼 is the most common term for a 'devil' or 'demon' in a Western or religious context. 邪神 refers specifically to an 'evil deity' or 'evil god' rather than a generic demon. 妖魔 is often used in the context of folklore or fantasy to describe monstrous, supernatural beings. 恶魔 is a very strong term for a demon, often used to describe a person with an extremely wicked nature or a literal demonic entity.
How do you pronounce it?
xiémó
Did you know?
- The character 魔 is also used to describe someone with an incredible, almost supernatural talent or obsession, such as a 'music demon' who practices tirelessly.
- The character 妖 in 妖魔 originally referred to supernatural charm or seductive beauty before it became associated with monsters and demons.
- While 魔鬼 translates to 'devil', it is frequently used in the phrase 魔鬼训练 to describe an incredibly grueling or 'hellish' training regime.
Examples in context
- 傳說中，邪魔會出現在深夜。Chuánshuō zhōng, xiémo huì chūxiàn zài shēnyè.According to legend, a demon will appear in the middle of the night.
- 他害怕遇到可怕的邪魔。Tā hàipà yù dào kěpà de xiémo.He is afraid of encountering a terrible demon.
Example conversation
Junjie and Zihan are discussing a fantasy novel they are both reading.
- 俊杰 Junjie你覺得故事裡的那個邪魔強嗎？Nǐ juédé gùshì lǐ de nàgè xiémó qiáng ma?Do you think the demon in the story is powerful?
- 梓涵 Zihan我覺得他非常強，很難打敗。Wǒ juédé tā fēicháng qiáng, hěn nán dǎbài.I think he is very powerful and hard to defeat.
- 俊杰 Junjie主角應該有辦法贏過他。Zhǔjué yīnggāi yǒu bànfǎ yíngguò tā.The protagonist should have a way to beat him.
- 梓涵 Zihan希望如此，不然故事太悲劇了。Xīwàng rúcǐ, bùrán gùshì tài bēijù le.I hope so, otherwise the story is too tragic.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “demon” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
