巫師 / 巫师
wūshī
The English word "wizard" can be translated into Chinese as 巫師 / 巫师 (wūshī). Wiktionary also lists 覡 / 觋 (xí) and 男巫 (nánwū).
Meaning: person skilled with magic (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 巫師 / 巫师 | wūshī |
| 覡 / 觋 | xí |
| 男巫 | nánwū |
| 魔術師 / 魔术师 | móshùshī |
| 妖人 | yāorén |
What does it mean word for word?
The term 魔術師 / 魔术师 (magician) is composed of 魔 (magic/demon), 術 (art/skill) and 師 (master/teacher).
Which one should you use?
The forms provided offer different nuances of the word. 巫師 / 巫师 (wūshī) refers to a wizard but often carries the connotation of a shaman or a person who performs rituals to communicate with spirits. 男巫 (nánwū) is used specifically to denote a male wizard, a term frequently found in fantasy literature to distinguish the character from a female witch (女巫). 妖人 (yāorén) is a negative term used to describe a sorcerer or a sinister, supernatural being.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The term 邪术师 is used to specifically refer to a dark wizard, a sorcerer or a practitioner of black magic.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization for 巫師 / 巫师 is wūshī.
Did you know?
- The term 妖人 describes a supernatural being, but the character 妖 can also mean 'bewitchingly beautiful', creating a linguistic link between magic and seductive attraction.
- The character 魔 in 魔術師 originally referred to demons or spirits that cause confusion and delusion.
- In modern Chinese pop culture, the distinction between 男巫 and 女巫 is heavily influenced by Western fantasy tropes like Harry Potter, rather than traditional Chinese folklore.
Examples in context
- 在这本小说中，主角是一位强大的魔法师。In this novel, the protagonist is a powerful wizard.
- 她喜欢看有关巫师和魔法的故事。She enjoys reading stories about wizards and magic.
- 这个村庄中有一位邪术师居住，村民都十分害怕。There is a dark wizard residing in this village, and the villagers are all very afraid.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wizard” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
