Translation guide
Describes something eerie, creepy, or giving a feeling of unease, often associated with ghosts or the supernatural.
To describe a place, atmosphere, or thing that feels unsettling or gives you the creeps.
The most common and direct equivalent for 'spooky'. It means eerie, uncanny, or creepy, and can describe places, sounds, or atmospheres.
この古い家は不気味だ。
This old house is spooky.
不気味な静けさが漂っていた。
A spooky silence hung in the air.
Literally 'feels bad', this is a very common colloquial way to say creepy or spooky. Often used in spoken Japanese.
あの廃墟、気味悪いよね。
That abandoned building is spooky, isn't it?
A slightly stronger or more literary version of 気味悪い, meaning vaguely creepy or spooky.
薄気味悪い霧が立ちこめていた。
A spooky fog had settled in.
Often used for 'gross' or 'disgusting', but can also mean creepy or spooky in context. More general than 気味悪い.
その人形、気持ち悪い。
That doll is spooky.
Specifically related to ghosts, spirits, or haunted places.
Literally 'ghosts appear', this is the standard way to say a place is haunted or spooky due to ghosts.
このホテルは幽霊が出るらしい。
This hotel is supposedly spooky (haunted).
Similar to 幽霊が出る but using a more colloquial word for ghost/monster. Often used in children's contexts.
お化けが出そうな雰囲気だね。
It feels like a spooky (haunted) atmosphere, doesn't it?
When something feels spooky because it's strangely coincidental or gives you an inexplicable chill.
Literally 'spine freezes', used to describe a sudden chill of fear or spookiness, often from a story or realization.
その話を聞いて背筋が凍った。
Hearing that story sent a spooky chill down my spine.
An onomatopoeic expression for a shiver or shudder, often used when something is creepy or spooky.
その偶然の一致にぞっとした。
That coincidence gave me a spooky feeling.
Directly 'eerie coincidence', used when a coincidence feels spooky or uncanny.
それは不気味な偶然だった。
It was a spooky coincidence.
不気味 is the most neutral and widely used for 'spooky/eerie'. 気味悪い is more colloquial and specifically means 'creepy'. 気持ち悪い can mean 'spooky' but often leans toward 'gross/disgusting', so context matters.
怖い (scary) is broader and can mean 'frightening' rather than just 'spooky'. Use 不気味 or 気味悪い when you want to emphasize the eerie, unsettling quality rather than outright fear.
Refers to psychic phenomena or ghostly activity. More technical and used in paranormal contexts.
心霊現象が報告されている。
Spooky (paranormal) phenomena have been reported.