How to say "demon" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 魔まnounPoints to the abstract force of evil — demonic power and evil influence — more than to a creature; it chiefly appears as a component inside other words, so it is seldom the standalone choice.
- 鬼おにnounThe horned ogre of Japanese folklore — the creature of folktales and stories. Choose it when 'demon' means this oni; it also describes a person as cruel or inhuman.
- 悪魔あくまnounThe word for the devil and demons of Western religion — Satan and his kind — and figuratively for a fiendishly wicked person.
- 魔物まものnounA general noun for a malevolent supernatural creature, covering both 'demon' and 'monster'; it fits narrative and fantasy contexts, naming the evil beings that threaten people.
- nounThe katakana loanword, keeping the English sound and sense; used where the English term itself is intended, as in fantasy fiction and games, and in technical borrowings such as computer daemons.
Use 悪魔 for the devil and Western-style demons, 鬼 for the horned ogre of Japanese folklore, 魔物 for monstrous evil creatures in stories, 魔 for the abstract force of evil, and 「デーモン」 when the English loanword fits.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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