HSK · Level 38
120 words
Chinese word
魔鬼
Pronunciation
Pinyinmó guǐ
Meaning
- noundevil
Example
深夜里，好像有魔鬼在叫。shēn yè lǐ hǎo xiàng yǒu mó guǐ zài jiào
Late at night, it sounds like a devil is crying out.
More examples
他的眼神像魔鬼一样，让人害怕。tā de yǎn shén xiàng mó guǐ yí yàng ràng rén hài pà
His gaze is like a devil's, and it frightens people.
Core concept
A supernatural source of deliberate harm, imagined as both a spirit and a powerful evil presence, or a human embodiment of such cruelty.
Common phrases
像魔鬼一样xiàng mó guǐ yí yàng
like a devil
魔鬼的笑声mó guǐ de xiào shēng
the devil's laughter
与魔鬼搏斗yǔ mó guǐ bó dòu
fight the devil
Similar words
恶魔è mó: An evil supernatural being from religion or stories that brings harm to people.
鬼guǐ: The spirit of a dead person, sometimes blamed for frightening or strange events.
Definition in Chinese
指邪恶的灵体或超自然的恶势力，也常用来形容作恶多端或极端残忍的人。zhǐ xié è de líng tǐ huò chāo zì rán de è shì lì yě cháng yòng lái xíng róng zuò è duō duān huò jí duān cán rěn de rén
Word origin
The compound 魔 (mó, "evil power") + 鬼 (guǐ, "spirit") gives 魔鬼 (móguǐ, "devil") the sense of an evil spirit, which also supports its figurative use for a person who does extreme wrong.
Usage tips
- In conversation, the word can describe a human being metaphorically, but the context must support unusually severe wrongdoing rather than ordinary anger or dislike.