Chinese word

妖怪

Pronunciation

Pinyinyāo guài

Meaning

  • nounmonster

Example

听说那个村子有妖怪。tīng shuō nà ge cūn zi yǒu yāo guài

They say there is a monster in that village.

Illustration for 妖怪 (monster)

More examples

夜里有人看到妖怪出没。yè lǐ yǒu rén kàn dào yāo guài chū mò

At night, someone saw a monster roaming.

Core concept

A mysterious nonhuman being whose unusual form or powers can cause wonder, trouble, or fear.

Common phrases

  • 妖怪传说yāo guài chuán shuō

    legend about monsters

  • 驱赶妖怪qū gǎn yāo guài

    chase away monsters

  • 妖怪出没yāo guài chū mò

    monsters roam

Similar words

怪物guài wù: A strange, frightening creature with an unusual appearance or nature.
鬼guǐ: A frightening supernatural being viewed as the spirit of a dead person.
幽灵yōu líng: An eerie supernatural spirit of a dead person believed to appear.
怪兽guài shòu: A large, frightening creature found in films and stories.

Definition in Chinese

指民间传说或小说中具有超自然力量、能幻化或作祟的生物或灵体。zhǐ mín jiān chuán shuō huò xiǎo shuō zhōng jù yǒu chāo zì rán lì liàng néng huàn huà huò zuò suì de shēng wù huò líng tǐ

Word origin

妖 (yāo, "uncanny") + 怪 (guài, "strange") combine to name a being whose nature lies outside the ordinary world.

Usage tips

  • The word can cover many kinds of folklore beings, including helpful, harmful, or playful ones, so it does not always mean a huge or purely evil creature.

Other meanings

  • goblinnoun
  • ogrenoun
  • demonnoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word