Japanese word

幽霊

Pronunciation

Romajiyūrei

Meaning

  • nounghost

Example

夜に幽霊を見ました。yoru ni yū rei o mi ma shi ta

I saw a ghost at night.

Illustration for 幽霊 (ghost)

More examples

この古い家には幽霊が出るそうです。ko no furu i ie ni wa yū rei ga de ru sō de su

Apparently, a ghost haunts this old house.

Core concept

Describes a spirit believed to remain among the living and appear as a visible presence.

Common phrases

  • 幽霊が出るyū rei ga de ru

    a ghost appears

  • 幽霊を見るyū rei o mi ru

    see a ghost

Similar words

お化けobake: A ghost or supernatural being referred to in casual, expressive language.
亡霊bōrei: A dead person's spirit that is thought to remain in this world.
怨霊onryō: A dead person's spirit thought to appear or cause trouble through unresolved resentment.

Definition in Japanese

死んだ人の霊が生きている人の前に姿を現したもの。shi n da hito no rei ga i ki te i ru hito no mae ni sugata o arawa shi ta mo no

Word origin

幽霊 (yūrei) combines 幽 (yū, "dim or hidden") with 霊 (rei, "spirit"), giving the compound its sense of an unseen spirit made present.

Usage tips

  • The word 幽霊 (yūrei) often appears in discussions of Japanese horror, where its traditional visual form differs from the many forms of a ghost in English-language stories.

Word lists with this word