noun
oni; ogre; demon
A mythical horned, fierce creature from Japanese folklore, often red or blue, wielding a club. Also used broadly for demons or monsters.
節分には「鬼は外、福は内」と言って豆をまく。
On Setsubun, we throw beans while saying, 'Oni out, good fortune in.'
昔
The oni in old tales usually have scary faces.
noun
spirit of the dead; ghost
Rare, literary, or archaic use for the spirit of a deceased person. Cross-referenced with 亡魂.
See also: 亡魂
古い文献では、鬼が死者の魂を指すことがある。
In old texts, 鬼 can refer to the spirit of a dead person.
noun
fierce person; relentless person; ogre-like person
Only with reading おに
Figurative use for a person who is exceptionally strict, merciless, or intense, like a demon.
あのコーチは鬼のように厳しい。
That coach is as strict as an ogre.
彼は仕事の鬼だ。
He's a demon for work.
noun
Only with reading おに
The person who is 'it' in games like tag or hide-and-seek. Reading is おに.
See also: 鬼ごっこ (おにごっこ)
鬼ごっこで、最初に鬼になったのは太郎だった。
In tag, Taro was the first one to be 'it'.
かくれんぼで鬼が見つけたら、次の鬼になる。
In hide-and-seek, if the seeker finds you, you become the next seeker.
noun
Chinese 'Ghost' constellation
Only with reading き
Astronomy term: one of the 28 Chinese mansions, part of the Vermilion Bird. Reading is き.
二十八宿の一つに「鬼」があり、これは「き」と読む。
One of the 28 mansions is 鬼, read as き.
prefix
Only with reading おに
Slang prefix used for emphasis, similar to 'super-' or 'mega-'. Reading is おに.
See also: 超
このラーメン、鬼うまい！
This ramen is super delicious!
鬼忙しい一週間だった。
It was an insanely busy week.