Ways to say it
| Vietnamese | IPA |
|---|---|
| ác quỷ | [ʔaːk̚˧˦ kwi˧˩] (Hà Nội, narrow) [ʔaːk̚˦˧˥ kwɪj˧˨] (Huế, narrow) |
| quỷ | [kwi˧˩] (Hà Nội, narrow) [kwɪj˧˨] (Huế, narrow) |
| ma quỷ | [maː˧˧ kwi˧˩] (Hà Nội, narrow) [maː˧˧ kwɪj˧˨] (Huế, narrow) |
| yêu ma | [ʔiəw˧˧ maː˧˧] (Hà Nội, word by word, narrow) |
| ma quái | [maː˧˧ kwaːj˧˦] (Hà Nội, narrow) [maː˧˧ kwaːj˨˩˦] (Huế, narrow) |
These terms refer to evil beings or malevolent supernatural entities. While some forms focus on a single entity, others are used to describe a collective of ghosts and demons or to tease someone mischievously.
What does it mean word for word?
The term ác quỷ is composed of ác, meaning evil and quỷ, meaning demon or devil.
Which one should you use?
Quỷ is the most basic and direct noun for a demon. In contrast, ác quỷ adds an explicit emphasis on the being's evil nature. The term ma quỷ is a compound used to refer to a collective group of supernatural malevolent entities, combining ma (ghost) and quỷ (demon).
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to a specific demon as a living entity, the classifier con is typically used before quỷ, resulting in the phrase con quỷ.
When do people say it?
The phrase đồ quỷ sứ is used colloquially to address someone, often a child or a person acting mischievously, in a teasing or mildly annoyed way.
Did you know?
- The modern Vietnamese meanings of ma and quỷ are actually swapped compared to their original Mandarin Chinese roots, where ma refers to a demon and quỷ refers to a ghost.
- The word quái in ma quái is used to describe things that are 'strange' or 'eccentric', not just evil.
Examples in context
- Con quỷ đã gây ra động đất ở khắp nơi trong thành phố.The demon caused earthquakes everywhere in the city.This sentence shows how to use the classifier con with quỷ to describe a specific entity.Tatoeba #13379448 by leucammieuvu, translation #11657288 by Amastan
- Đừng nhìn tao, đừng nhìn chòng chọc vào tao, đồ quỷ sứ, đừng có nhìn, tao không thể chịu được!Don't look at me, don't stare at me, demon, don't stare, I can't bear it!This sentence demonstrates the use of quỷ in a colloquial, teasing expression.Tatoeba #5767759 by yippe, translation #2841488 by Ooneykcall
- Nguồn gốc của quỷOrigin of demons
- Sức mạnh của ác maPower of demons
- Đánh bại quỷ dữDefeat the demons
- Ác quỷ trong tâm tưởngDemons in one's thoughts
- Trong truyện cổ tích, ác quỷ thường rất đáng sợ.In fairy tales, the demon is often very scary.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a horror movie they just watched.
- LanCon ác quỷ trong phim thật kinh khủng.The demon in the movie was terrible.
- TuấnTôi cũng thấy vậy, nó rất đáng sợ.I thought so too, it was very scary.
- LanAnh có muốn xem phim khác không?Do you want to watch another movie?
- TuấnKhông, tôi sợ ác quỷ lắm rồi.No, I am very scared of demons now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “demon” translations and entries ác quỷ, quỷ, ma quỷ, ma quái, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (yêu, ma) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ma, ma quái, ma quỷ, quái, quỷ, yêu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
