鬼
oni[o̞ɲ̟i]
The phrase oni means oni in Japanese.
鬼 refers to an oni. This term appears in common compound words such as 鬼ごっこ, which means playing tag and 鬼退治, which refers to exterminating or driving away demons.
Did you know?
- During the Setsubun festival, people throw roasted soybeans while shouting 'Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!' which means 'Demons out! Fortune in!'
- The word oni is used as a prefix to describe someone with an incredible or terrifying level of skill, such as oni-shugyō for 'demonic training'.
- In Japanese folklore, oni are often depicted with horns and tiger-skin loincloths, but they are not always purely evil. They can sometimes act as protectors or bring good luck to a household.
Examples in context
- 鬼を恐れている者には鬼が必ず現れる。An oni will appear inevitably to those who fear oni.This sentence illustrates the idea that an oni will inevitably appear to those who fear 鬼.Tatoeba #1113448 by saeb, translation #1125376 by Scott
- あの物語には鬼が登場します。In that story, an "oni" appears.
- ゲームでオニになるのは楽しい！It's fun to become an "oni" in games!
- 昔話に出てくる鬼は怖いです。Mukashibanashi ni detekuru oni wa kowai desu.The oni in old folktales are scary.
- 子供は鬼の仮面を被っています。Kodomo wa oni no kamen o kabutte imasu.The child is wearing an oni mask.
Example conversation
Daito and Misaki are looking at decorations during a festival.
- 大翔 Hirotoあそこに大きな鬼がいますね。Asoko ni ookina oni ga imasu ne.There is a big demon over there, isn't there?
- 美咲 Misaki本当だ。迫力があってすごいですね。Hontou da. Hakuryoku ga atte sugoi desu ne.You're right. It's so powerful and impressive.
- 大翔 Hiroto日本の伝統的な鬼の姿ですね。Nihon no dentoutekina oni no sugata desu ne.It's a traditional Japanese demon appearance.
- 美咲 Misaki写真に撮っておきましょう。Shashin ni totte okimashou.Let's take a photo of it.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 鬼, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
