グール
gūru
The English word "ghoul" is translated into Japanese as グール (gūru).
グール refers to a spirit or creature that is said to feed on corpses.
Meaning: a spirit said to feed on corpses (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is gūru.
Did you know?
- While グール is used for Western-style monsters, a Japanese speaker would more likely use the word 餓鬼 (gaki) to describe a hungry, flesh-eating spirit from Buddhist mythology.
- The word グール is a katakana loanword, which signals to a Japanese reader that the creature originates from foreign folklore rather than traditional Japanese Shinto or Buddhist legends.
- In modern Japanese pop culture, especially in manga and anime like 'Tokyo Ghoul', the term グール is often used to describe creatures that must eat humans to survive, shifting the meaning from 'corpse-eater' to 'predator'.
Examples in context
- 彼は妖怪に興味を持っています。He is interested in ghouls.
- 昨夜、死霊に遭遇しました。怖かったです。I encountered a ghoul last night. It was scary.
- あのキャラクターは本当のグールじゃないよね？That character isn't a real ghoul, right?
- この映画は食屍鬼が出てくるよ。一緒に観に行こう！This movie has ghouls in it. Let's go watch it together!
- その物語にはグールが出てくる。Sono monogatari ni wa guuru ga detekuru.A ghoul appears in that story.
- グールは死体を食べる怪物だ。Guuru wa shitai o taberu kaibutsu da.A ghoul is a monster that eats corpses.
- 映画の中でグールが襲ってきた。Eiga no naka de guuru ga osotte kita.A ghoul attacked in the movie.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a horror movie they just watched.
- 美咲 Misakiさっきの映画、グールが出てきて怖かったね。Sakki no eiga, guuru ga detekite kowakatta ne.That movie we just saw was scary because a ghoul appeared.
- 蓮 Ren本当に。グールが死体を食べるシーンは不気味だった。Hontou ni. Guuru ga shitai o taberu shiin wa bukimi datta.Really. The scene where the ghoul eats a corpse was creepy.
- 美咲 Misaki蓮くんは、ああいう怪物は好き？Ren-kun wa, aiu kaibutsu wa suki?Ren, do you like monsters like that?
- 蓮 Renいや、僕は苦手だよ。Iya, boku wa nigate da yo.No, I'm not a fan.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ghoul” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
