魔王
maō
To say demon lord in Japanese, use 魔王 (maō).
魔王 is the ruler of demons, a familiar figure in fantasy stories, video games, manga and anime, where it is often the final enemy.
What does it mean word for word?
魔 means demon or evil spirit, and 王 means king.
How do you pronounce it?
It is pronounced maō, with a long o at the end.
Did you know?
- In modern Japanese slang, calling a person a 魔王 can be a high compliment for someone who has completely mastered a difficult field, like professional gaming or a specific craft.
- The concept of 魔王 is rooted in the Buddhist figure Mara, the demon who attempted to tempt Gautama Buddha with worldly desires to block his path to enlightenment.
- While the English word 'demon' usually refers to a fallen angel or a resident of hell, the Japanese 魔 refers more generally to spirits that cause obsession, madness or confusion.
Examples in context
- 魔王はついに気を失ってどうと倒れた。The demon lord finally lost consciousness and fell to the floor with a thud.In this sentence 魔王 is the subject, and the demon lord faints and falls to the floor.Tatoeba #451541 by blay_paul, translation #451543 by blay_paul
- その物語には強力な魔王が登場します。Sono monogatari ni wa kyouryoku na maou ga toujou shimasu.A powerful demon lord appears in that story.
- 勇者が魔王を倒すのが目的です。Yuusha ga maou o taosu no ga mokuteki desu.The goal is for the hero to defeat the demon lord.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a video game they are playing.
- 健太 Kenta次のステージのボスは魔王かな？Tsugi no suteeji no bosu wa maou kana?Is the boss of the next stage the demon lord?
- 陽葵 Himari多分、魔王だよ。Tabun, maou da yo.Probably, it's the demon lord.
- 健太 Kentaすごく強そうだから、怖いね。Sugoku tsuyosou dakara, kowai ne.He looks really strong, so it's scary.
- 陽葵 Himari健太君、一緒に頑張ろう！Kenta-kun, issho ni ganbarou!Kenta, let's do our best together!
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
