悪魔

Japanese

Kanji in this term
悪	魔
あく Grade: 3	ま Grade: S
goon

Alternative spelling
惡魔 (kyūjitai)

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 惡魔 (MC 'ak ma, literally “bad, evil + demon”).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) あくま [áꜜkùmà] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [a̠kɯ̟ma̠]

Noun

悪(あく)魔(ま) • (akuma) 

1. a demon, devil, fiend
   • 1987 March 20 [1987 February 20], Fujiko Fujio, “メフィスト惨歌 [Mephisto Damnal]”, in カンビュセスの籤(くじ) [Cambyses’s Drawing] (藤子不二雄 ＳＦ全短編; 1), 2nd edition, volume 1 (fiction), Tokyo: Chuokoronsha, →ISBN, 第二章, pages 442–443:

     ああ　びっくりした　なんだ悪(あく)魔(ま)か

     Ā Bikkuri shita Nan da Akuma ka

     Whoa, you scared me. So you’re the Devil, huh?

     な……「なんだ悪(あく)魔(ま)か」？あんた悪(あく)魔(ま)の存(そん)在(ざい)なんか信(しん)じる？

     Na……“Nan da Akuma ka”? Anta Akuma no sonzai nan ka shinjiru?

     Wha… “So you’re the Devil”? You believe the Devil exists?

     信(しん)じるのって　現(げん)にきみ存(そん)在(ざい)してるじゃない

     Shinjiru notte Gen ni kimi sonzai shiteru ja nai

     What do you mean? You exist right there, don’t you?

     いやしかし　ほんとに信(しん)じる？この二(に)十(じっ)世(せい)紀(き)の日(に)本(ほん)で？この科(か)学(がく)文(ぶん)明(めい)の……

     Iya shikashi Honto ni shinjiru? Kono nijisseiki no Nihon de? Kono kagaku bunmei no……

     Yeah, but, you really believe that? In 20th century Japan? In this scientific civilization…

     そんなにうたぐってほしいの

     Sonna ni utagutte hoshii no

     Is it that outlandish?

     いや　いやいや　そうじゃないけど　いつも　まずぼくが悪(あく)魔(ま)だってことをのみこませるのに大(おお)汗(あせ)かいてるものだから

     Iya Iya iya Sō ja nai kedo Itsumo Mazu boku ga Akuma datte koto o nomikomaseru no ni ōase ka iteru mono da kara

     No, no no, that’s not what I meant. It’s just that I’m taken aback by the fact that you really buy that I’m the Devil.

   • 2001 September 20, “デーモンの召(しょう)喚(かん) [Daemon’s Summons]”, in Struggle of Chaos ―闇を制する者― [Struggle of Chaos: Commanders of Darkness], Konami:

     闇(やみ)の力(ちから)を使(つか)い、人(ひと)の心(こころ)を惑(まど)わすデーモン。悪(あく)魔(ま)族(ぞく)ではかなり強(きょう)力(りょく)な力(ちから)を誇(ほこ)る。

     Yami no chikara o tsukai, hito no kokoro o madowasu dēmon. Akuma-zoku de wa kanari kyōryoku na chikara o hokoru.

     A daemon who bewilders the human heart with dark powers. He boasts of his tremendous power amongst the Demon Tribe.

2. (figurative) a fiend (very evil person)
3. (tarot) the Devil
4. (Buddhism) a mara, a demon seeking to prevent enlightenment

Derived terms

• 悪(あく)魔(ま)の運(うん) (akuma no un, “devil's luck”)

See also

• デーモン (dēmon)
• デビル (debiru)