吸血鬼
kyūketsuki[kʲɨːke̞t͡sɨ̥kʲi]
The English word vampire can be translated into Japanese as 吸血鬼 (kyūketsuki). It is also spelled バンパイア (banpaia). Wiktionary also lists ヴァンパイア (vanpaia).
Meaning: mythological creature (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 吸血鬼 | kyūketsuki | [kʲɨːke̞t͡sɨ̥kʲi] (narrow) | |
| ヴァンパイア | vanpaia | [bã̠mpa̠ia̠] (narrow) | |
| バンパイア | banpaia | [bã̠mpa̠ia̠] (narrow) | alternative form |
The term refers to the mythological creature known as a vampire. In its native form, it can be understood as a bloodsucking demon.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 吸血鬼 is composed of the characters for 'suck' (吸), 'blood' (血) and 'demon/spirit' (鬼).
Which one should you use?
吸血鬼 is the native Japanese term often used in literature and folklore. In contrast, ヴァンパイア is a loanword from English and is used more frequently in modern pop culture, such as anime or video games. バンパイア is an alternative spelling of ヴァンパイア.
How do you pronounce it?
kyūketsuki
Did you know?
- In Japanese pop culture, the loanwords ヴァンパイア or バンパイア often evoke a more stylish, Westernized, or romanticized aesthetic compared to the more traditional and grotesque-sounding 吸血鬼.
- While 吸血鬼 is the standard term, the character 鬼 at the end of the word can also be used to describe various types of ogres or monsters in Japanese folklore.
- The spelling バンパイア occurs because the Japanese phonetic system lacks a native 'v' sound, causing many speakers to naturally substitute it with a 'b' sound.
Examples in context
- ゾンビものと吸血鬼もの、どっちを観るかなあ。I wonder which one I'll watch, the zombie one or the vampire one.This sentence is useful for choosing between different types of media like zombie stories or vampire stories using 吸血鬼.Tatoeba #11018165 by bunbuku, translation #12005444 by Winter
- 吸血鬼は睨むだけで人を金縛りにする。A vampire can paralyze people just by looking at them.This sentence describes a specific ability of a vampire using 吸血鬼.Tatoeba #1573704 by marcelostockle, translation #1577285 by rbbrbb
- クリスはヴァンパイア・ナイトを倒した！Chris defeated the vampire knight!This sentence demonstrates how the loanword is used in a pop culture context with ヴァンパイア.Tatoeba #422498 by blay_paul, translation #422499 by blay_paul
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a new fantasy movie at a cafe.
- 陽葵 Himariこの映画には吸血鬼が出てくるの？Kono eiga ni wa kyuuketsuki ga detekuru no?Does a vampire appear in this movie?
- 健太 Kentaうん、かっこいい吸血鬼が主人公なんだ。Un, kakkoii kyuuketsuki ga shujinkou nanda.Yeah, a cool vampire is the protagonist.
- 陽葵 Himari健太くん、それ面白そうだね！Kenta-kun, sore omoshirosou dane!Kenta, that sounds interesting!
- 健太 Kenta一緒に観に行こうよ。Issho ni mi ni ikou yo.Let's go see it together.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “vampire” translations and entries 吸血鬼, ヴァンパイア, バンパイア, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
