化け物

Japanese

Kanji in this term
化	物
ば Grade: 3	もの Grade: 3
kun'yomi

Alternative forms

• 化物
• 化けもの

Etymology

Compound of 化け (bake, “transforming”, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 化ける bakeru, “take a different form, disguise oneself”) +‎ 物 (mono, “thing”).

Noun

化(ば)け物(もの) • (bakemono) 

1. a monster, a ghost, a phantom

   化(ば)け物(もの)のような茄子(なす)

   bakemono no yō na nasu

   a monstrous eggplant, a monster of an eggplant

   • 1999 March 27, “ラーバス [Larvas]”, in Vol.2, Konami:

     素(す)早(ばや)く動(うご)く鳥(とり)のばけもの。細(ほそ)く長(なが)い腕(うで)をからませ絞(し)めあげる。

     Subayaku ugoku tori no bakemono. Hosoku nagai ude o karamase shimeageru.

     A nimble avian monster who will strangle you with his long thin arms.

2. someone of prodigious ability

   トランプにかけては化(ば)け物(もの)だ。

   Toranpu ni kakete wa bakemono da.

   He's a monster / a whiz at cards.

Synonyms

• (monster): お化(ば)け (obake), 妖怪(ようかい) (yōkai)

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 化(ば)け物(もの)絵(え) (bakemono e): a picture of a ghost or monster
• 化(ば)け物(もの)屋(や)敷(しき) (bakemono yashiki): haunted house
• 化(ば)け物(もの)蝋(ろう)燭(そく) (bakemono rōsoku): a kind of shadow theater or play

References

• Kitahara, Yasuo, editor (2002), 明鏡国語辞典 [Meikyō Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), First edition, Tokyo: Taishūkan Shoten, →ISBN