赤鬼
akaoni
The English phrase "red demon" is translated into Japanese as 赤鬼 (akaoni).
赤鬼 refers to a red-skinned ogre from Japanese folklore.
How do you pronounce it?
akaoni
Did you know?
- While 赤鬼 is a demon, the word 鬼 is also used in the word for 'extremely' in certain slang expressions, such as 鬼かわいい meaning 'insanely cute'.
- The term 鬼 is used to describe the 'oni' of folklore, but it is also used as a metaphor for a person who is incredibly skilled or an expert at a specific task, similar to calling someone a 'beast' in English.
- The word 鬼 is used in the term 鬼門 'kimon', which refers to the northeast direction, believed to be the 'demon gate' through which evil spirits enter a house.
Examples in context
- あのゲームで赤鬼を見たよ！I saw a red demon in that video game!
- 赤鬼の絵が描いてあります。Akaoni no e ga kaite arimasu.There is a picture of a red demon.
- 赤鬼はとても恐ろしい存在です。Akaoni wa totemo osoroshii sonzai desu.A red demon is a very fearsome existence.
- 昔話に赤鬼が出てきました。Mukashibanashi ni akaoni ga detekimashita.A red demon appeared in the old tale.
Example conversation
Misaki and Kenta are looking at traditional masks.
- 美咲 Misakiこの赤鬼の面はかっこいいですね。Kono akaoni no men wa kakkoii desu ne.This red demon mask is cool, isn't it?
- 健太 Kenta本当だね。色がとても鮮やかだ。Hontō da ne. Iro ga totemo azayaka da.You're right. The color is very vivid.
- 美咲 Misaki健太さんは青鬼の方が好きですか？Kenta-san wa ao-oni no hō ga suki desu ka?Kenta, do you prefer the blue demon?
- 健太 Kentaいや、僕は赤鬼の方が好きだよ。Iya, boku wa akaoni no hō ga suki da yo.No, I like the red demon more.
