悪魔のような
akuma no yō na
The English word "demonic" is translated into Japanese as 悪魔のような (akuma no yō na).
The phrase is used to describe things pertaining to evil spirits. The term 魔性の emphasizes the dangerous and alluring nature of something demonic and is often used to describe a person or an atmosphere. For a direct and formal translation of "demonic" or "devilish" qualities, you can use 悪魔的な. Additionally, the synonym 極悪な can be used to mean "diabolical."
Meaning: Pertaining to evil spirits (adj)
Which one should you use?
悪魔的な is a more concise way to express "demonic" or "devilish" in a descriptive sense. In formal contexts, 悪魔的な is a direct way to describe evil or devilish qualities.
How does it change in a sentence?
悪魔のような is an adjectival phrase used to modify nouns directly, such as 悪魔のような力 (demonic power).
How do you pronounce it?
akuma no yō na
Did you know?
- The word 悪魔 ('akuma') is a translation of 'demon' that became popular during the Meiji era to describe Western concepts of the devil, as traditional Japanese spirits were typically viewed differently.
- In Japanese, the word for 'demon' can be written with different kanji, such as 鬼 (oni), which carries a much more folkloric and culturally specific weight than the Western concept of a 'demon' found in 悪魔.
- The term 魔性 (mashō), used to describe a 'demonic' allure, is deeply rooted in the concept of 'ma', which refers to a spiritual force that can either disrupt or transform reality. This makes the 'demonic' quality feel more like an unpredictable phenomenon than a simple moral evil.
Examples in context
- 彼女の魔性の魅力には抵抗できない。I can't resist her demonic allure.
- 彼の悪魔的な計画は破壊的だ。His demonic plan is destructive.
- 彼のスポーツパフォーマンスは鬼のようだ！His sports performance is like that of a demon!
- 悪魔のような笑い声が聞こえた。Akuma no you na waraigoe ga kikoeta.I heard a demonic laugh.
- 彼は悪魔のような目をしている。Kare wa akuma no you na me o shite iru.He has demonic eyes.
- その映画には悪魔のような存在が出てくる。Sono eiga ni wa akuma no you na sonzai ga detekuru.A demonic entity appears in that movie.
Example conversation
Two siblings are discussing a scary horror movie they just watched.
- 陽葵 Himariあの映画の怪物は悪魔のようだったね。Ano eiga no kaibutsu wa akuma no you datta ne.The monster in that movie was like a demon, wasn't it?
- 陽太 Yotaうん、悪魔のような恐ろしい姿だったよ。Un, akuma no you na osoroshii sugata datta yo.Yeah, it had a demonic, terrifying appearance.
- 陽葵 Himari陽太は怖くなかったの？Hinata wa kowakunakatta no?Hinata, weren't you scared?
- 陽太 Yota少し怖かったけど、大丈夫だよ。Sukoshi kowakatta kedo, daijoubu da yo.I was a little scared, but I'm okay.
