Chinese word

鬼

Pronunciation

Pinyinguǐ

Meaning

  • nounghost

Example

夜里我听见了鬼的声音。yè lǐ wǒ tīng jiàn le guǐ de shēng yīn

At night I heard the voice of a ghost.

Illustration for 鬼 (ghost)

More examples

他喜欢讲鬼故事，吓得孩子们大哭。tā xǐ huān jiǎng guǐ gù shì xià de hái zi men dà kū

He likes telling ghost stories, and the children cry loudly from fear.

Core concept

A strange and potentially harmful being that does not belong to the ordinary human world.

Common phrases

  • 讲鬼故事jiǎng guǐ gù shì

    tell ghost stories

  • 鬼怪guǐ guài

    ghosts and monsters

  • 出现鬼魂chū xiàn guǐ hún

    ghosts appear

Similar words

幽灵yōu líng: An unseen spirit believed to appear after someone dies.
鬼魂guǐ hún: A dead person's soul believed to wander in the world.
鬼怪guǐ guài: A supernatural spirit or monster believed to cause harm.
妖怪yāo guài: A legendary creature with mysterious powers that confuses people.

Definition in Chinese

指民间信仰中的亡灵或怪物，既可指实际的幽灵，也常在口语里作比喻性评价使用。zhǐ mín jiān xìn yǎng zhōng de wáng líng huò guài wù jì kě zhǐ shí jì de yōu líng yě cháng zài kóu yǔ lǐ zuò bǐ yù xìng píng jià shǐ yòng

Word origin

The word 鬼 (guǐ, "ghost") preserves an old Chinese idea of a dead person's spirit as a separate, uncanny being, so its meaning extends naturally to a monster or other frightening creature.

Usage tips

  • In casual Chinese, this word can label a person or situation as strange, difficult, or extreme, so its tone may be critical or playful rather than frightening.

Other meanings

  • monsternoun

Opposites

Related words

  • 恶鬼è guǐevil ghostnoun
  • 鬼怪guǐ guàighosts and monstersnoun

Word lists with this word