魔

魔 U+9B54, 魔 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-9B54 ← 魓 [U+9B53] CJK Unified Ideographs 魕 → [U+9B55]

Translingual

Han character

魔 (Kangxi radical 194, 鬼+11, 21 strokes, Cangjie input 戈金竹山戈 (ICHUI) or 戈木竹山戈 (IDHUI) or 戈木竹戈 (IDHI), four-corner 0021₃, composition ⿸麻鬼)

Derived characters

• 𭤞, 𤜘, 𮫩

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 1462, character 67
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 45906
• Dae Jaweon: page 1997, character 2
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 7, page 4436, character 11
• Unihan data for U+9B54

Chinese

trad.		魔
simp. #		魔
2nd round simp.		⿸广⿸⿻丿日乚

Glyph origin

Characters in the same phonetic series (麻) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
麻	*mraːl
痲	*mraːl
犘	*mraːl
縻	*mral
醿	*mral
爢	*mral
蘼	*mral, *mralʔ, *mrɯl
靡	*mralʔ
摩	*maːl, *maːls
魔	*maːl
磨	*maːl, *maːls
劘	*maːl
麽	*maːl
麼	*maːlʔ
塺	*maːls, *mɯːl
麾	*hmral

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *maːl): phonetic 麻 (OC *mraːl) + semantic 鬼 (“demon”).

Etymology

Clipping of 魔羅 (MC ma la), from Sanskrit मार (māra, “killing; death; destroyer; demon”). According to Zhengzitong, First attested in 548, on 29 Oct., in an epitaph praising the Buddha:

遂登正覺，神通自然。群魔稽首，靈冠諸天。慈悲萬有，光照大千。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]

---

遂登正觉，神通自然。群魔稽首，灵冠诸天。慈悲万有，光照大千。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

From: 548 Oct 29, 《邑主造石像碑》

Suì dēng zhèngjué, shéntōng zìrán. Qúnmó qǐshǒu, líng guàn zhūtiān. Cíbēi wànyǒu, guāngzhào dàqiān. [Pinyin]

[The Buddha] then ascended to proper enlightenment, his spiritual powers at ease. The horde of demons paid obeisance, and his divine intelligence surpassed that of the gods. His compassion is universal, and his light illuminates the universe.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): mó (mo²)

  (Zhuyin): ㄇㄛˊ

  (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): mo²

  (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): мо (mo, I)

• Cantonese (Jyutping): mo¹ / mo⁴
• Gan (Wiktionary): mo⁴
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): mô

  (Hailu, HRS): mo^ˋ

  (Meixian, Guangdong): mo²

• Jin (Wiktionary): me¹
• Northern Min (KCR): mǒ̤
• Eastern Min (BUC): mò̤
• Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): mor²
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): mô͘

  (Teochew, Peng'im): mo⁵

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁶mo; ⁶mu
• Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): mo²

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: mó
    • Zhuyin: ㄇㄛˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: mó
    • Wade–Giles: mo²
    • Yale: mwó
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: mo
    • Palladius: мо (mo)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mu̯ɔ³⁵/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: mo²
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: mo
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mo²¹/
  • (Dungan)
    • Cyrillic and Wiktionary: мо (mo, I)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mɔ²⁴/

    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: mo¹ / mo⁴
    • Yale: mō / mòh
    • Cantonese Pinyin: mo¹ / mo⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: mo¹ / mo⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mɔː⁵⁵/, /mɔː²¹/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: mo⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mo³⁵/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: mô
    • Hakka Romanization System: mo^ˊ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: mo¹
    • Sinological IPA: /mo²⁴/
  • (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
    • Hakka Romanization System: mo^ˋ
    • Sinological IPA: /mo⁵³/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: mo²
    • Sinological IPA: /mo¹¹/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: me¹
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /mɤ¹¹/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: mǒ̤
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mɔ²¹/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: mò̤
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mo⁵³/
• Puxian Min
  • (Putian)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: mor²
    • Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: mó̤
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mɒ¹³/
  • (Xianyou)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: mor²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mɒ²⁴/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: mô͘
    • Tâi-lô: môo
    • Phofsit Daibuun: moo
    • Sinological IPA (Xiamen): /mɔ̃²⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Quanzhou): /mɔ̃²⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Zhangzhou): /mɔ̃¹³/
    • Sinological IPA (Taipei): /mɔ̃²⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Kaohsiung): /mɔ̃²³/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: mo⁵
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: mô
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mo⁵⁵/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ⁶mo; ⁶mu
    • MiniDict: mo^去; mu^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³mo; ³mu
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /mo²³/, /mu²³/
• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: mo²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mo¹³/

---

• Middle Chinese: ma

Rime
Character	魔
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	明 (4)
Final (韻)	戈 (95)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Closed
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	莫婆切
Baxter	ma
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/muɑ/
Pan Wuyun	/muɑ/
Shao Rongfen	/muɑ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/mwa/
Li Rong	/muɑ/
Wang Li	/muɑ/
Bernhard Karlgren	/muɑ/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	mó
Expected Cantonese Reflex	mo4

• Old Chinese

  (Zhengzhang): /*maːl/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	魔
Reading #	1/1
No.	8705
Phonetic component	麻
Rime group	歌
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	摩
Old Chinese	/*maːl/
Notes	梵譯māra，梁武帝改磨爲魔

Definitions

魔

1. (Buddhism) mara (demon)
2. devil; demon; evil spirit
3. fiend; harmful or evil thing or person
4. magic; the unnatural
5. crazy; delusional, manic
6. to be obsessed with; idolatry.

   • 寶釵道：「可真是詩魔了。」 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     宝钗道：「可真是诗魔了。」 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     From: Cao Xueqin, Dream of the Red Chamber, mid-18^th century CE

     Bǎochāi dào: “Kě zhēn shì shī mó le.” [Pinyin]

     Baochai says: “[She] really has been under a poetry craze.”

Synonyms

• (devil):

edit

• 凶煞 (xiōngshà) (literally or figuratively)
• 凶神 (xiōngshén) (literally or figuratively)
• 妖 (yāo)
• 妖孽 (yāoniè)
• 妖怪 (yāoguài)
• 妖物 (yāowù)
• 妖精 (yāojīng)
• 妖鬼 (yāoguǐ)
• 妖魔 (yāomó)
• 孽 (niè) (literary, or in compounds)
• 怪物 (guàiwu)
• 惡魔 / 恶魔 (èmó) (literally or figuratively)
• 煞 (Taiwanese Hokkien)
• 煞神 (shàshén) (literary, literally or figuratively)
• 精怪 (jīngguài)
• 精靈 / 精灵 (jīnglíng)
• 邪魔 (xiémó)
• 鬼仔精 (Hokkien)
• 鬼精 (Hokkien)
• 魔障 (mózhàng) (Buddhism)
• 魔鬼 (móguǐ) (literally or figuratively)

Compounds

• 么魔
• 九伯風魔 / 九伯风魔
• 九子魔母
• 事魔喫菜 / 事魔吃菜
• 事魔食菜
• 伏魔大帝
• 倦魔
• 入魔 (rùmó)
• 十六天魔
• 十魔
• 吃菜事魔
• 夢魔 / 梦魔
• 天子魔
• 天魔 (tiānmó)
• 夭魔
• 天魔外道
• 天魔舞
• 好事多魔 (hǎoshìduōmó)
• 妖魔 (yāomó)
• 妖魔鬼怪 (yāomóguǐguài)
• 寶魔 / 宝魔
• 小業魔 / 小业魔
• 惡魔 / 恶魔 (èmó)
• 愁魔
• 文魔
• 書魔 / 书魔
• 毒魔狠怪
• 混世魔王
• 潑魔 / 泼魔
• 災魔 / 灾魔
• 焰魔天
• 煩惱魔 / 烦恼魔
• 熱魔 / 热魔
• 牛魔王 (niú mówáng)
• 狐媚魔道
• 病魔 (bìngmó)
• 瘋魔 / 疯魔 (fēngmó)
• 癡魔 / 痴魔
• 着魔 (zháomó)
• 睡魔
• 神謀魔道 / 神谋魔道
• 神魔 (shénmó)
• 禪魔 / 禅魔
• 群魔
• 羣魔亂舞 / 羣魔乱舞 (qúnmóluànwǔ)
• 群魔亂舞 / 群魔乱舞 (qúnmóluànwǔ)
• 花魔酒病
• 著魔 / 着魔 (zháomó)
• 蛇魔
• 詞魔 / 词魔
• 詩魔 / 诗魔
• 變魔術 / 变魔术
• 走火入魔 (zǒuhuǒrùmó)
• 走魔入火
• 造魔
• 道高一尺，魔高一丈 (dào gāo yī chǐ, mó gāo yī zhàng)
• 道高魔重
• 邪魔 (xiémó)
• 邪魔外祟
• 邪魔外道
• 邪魔怪道
• 邪魔歪道 (xié mó wāi dào)
• 酒魔
• 酒魔頭 / 酒魔头
• 鍊魔 / 炼魔
• 降魔
• 降魔杵
• 降魔棍
• 陰魔 / 阴魔
• 面魔羅 / 面魔罗
• 風風魔魔 / 风风魔魔
• 風魔 / 风魔
• 風魔九伯 / 风魔九伯
• 食菜事魔 (shícàishìmó)
• 鬧魔 / 闹魔
• 鬼頭魔眼 / 鬼头魔眼
• 鬼魔
• 鬼魔三道
• 鬼魔道
• 魔事
• 魔侯羅 / 魔侯罗
• 魔力 (mólì)
• 魔劫
• 魔合羅 / 魔合罗 (móhéluó)
• 魔君
• 魔咒 (mózhòu)
• 魔境
• 魔天
• 魔女 (mónǚ)
• 魔媼 / 魔媪
• 魔宮 / 魔宫
• 魔家
• 魔山
• 魔幻 (móhuàn)
• 魔影 (móyǐng)
• 魔心
• 魔念 (móniàn)
• 魔怪 (móguài)
• 魔怔 (mózheng)
• 魔惑
• 魔意
• 魔手
• 魔掌 (mózhǎng)
• 魔教
• 魔數 / 魔数
• 魔方 (mófāng)
• 魔星 (móxīng)
• 魔杖 (mózhàng)
• 魔板
• 魔棒
• 魔棍
• 魔民
• 魔氛
• 魔法 (mófǎ)
• 魔法石
• 魔漿 / 魔浆
• 魔燄 / 魔焰
• 魔爪 (mózhǎo)
• 魔物
• 魔王 (mówáng)
• 魔王夜叉
• 魔瓶
• 魔瘴
• 魔祟
• 魔窟 (mókū)
• 魔笛
• 魔羅 / 魔罗 (móluó)
• 魔芋 (móyù)
• 魔行
• 魔術 / 魔术 (móshù)
• 魔術師 / 魔术师 (móshùshī)
• 魔術數字 / 魔术数字
• 魔術方塊 / 魔术方块 (móshù fāngkuài)
• 魔術蛇 / 魔术蛇
• 魔說 / 魔说
• 魔軍 / 魔军
• 魔道 (módào)
• 魔邪
• 魔酡
• 魔鏡 / 魔镜 (mójìng)
• 魔障 (mózhàng)
• 魔難 / 魔难 (mónàn)
• 魔雲 / 魔云
• 魔電 / 魔电
• 魔音傳腦 / 魔音传脑
• 魔頭 / 魔头 (mótóu)
• 魔頭星 / 魔头星
• 魔風 / 魔风
• 魔駝 / 魔驼
• 魔高一尺，道高一丈
• 魔鬼 (móguǐ)
• 魔鬼學派 / 魔鬼学派
• 魔鬼湖
• 魔鬼身材 (móguǐ shēncái)
• 魔魅
• 魔魍
• 魔魘 / 魔魇
• 魘魔 / 魇魔
• 魘魔法 / 魇魔法

Japanese

Shinjitai	魔
Kyūjitai	魔󠄁 魔+󠄁? (Adobe-Japan1)
	魔󠄃 魔+󠄃? (Hanyo-Denshi) (Moji_Joho)
The displayed kanji may be different from the image due to your environment. See here for details.

Kanji

魔

(Jōyō kanji)

⿸广マ, a Ryakuji for 魔, a phono-semantic simplification as 广 (radical) + マ (phonetic “ma” for on reading), also used for 摩; compare 機 and 議.

1. demon, evil spirit
2. sorcery, witchcraft

Readings

• Go-on: ま (ma, Jōyō)
• Kan-on: ば (ba)

Compounds

• 閻魔(えんま) (Enma)
• 妖魔(ようま) (yōma)
• 霊魔(れいま) (reima)
• 邪魔(じゃま) (jama)
• 魔鬼(まき) (maki)
• 魔王(まおう) (maō)
• 魔(ま)界(かい) (makai)
• 魔(ま)境(きょう) (makyō)
• 魔(ま)窟(くつ) (makutsu)
• 魔手(ましゅ) (mashu)
• 魔(ま)性(しょう) (mashō)
• 悪(あく)魔(ま) (akuma)
• 悪(あく)魔主義(ましゅぎ) (akumashugi)
• 魔神(まじん) (majin)
• 魔弾(まだん) (madan)
• 魔(ま)酔(すい) (masui)
• 魔(ま)睡(すい) (masui)
• 魔羅(まら) (mara)
• 魔(ま)物(もの) (mamono)
• 魔(ま)者(もの) (mamono)
• 天魔(てんま) (tenma)
• 病魔(びょうま) (byōma)
• 水(すい)魔(ま) (suima)
• 魔幻(まげん) (magen)
• 魔術(まじゅつ) (majutsu)
• 魔(ま)術師(じゅつし) (majutsushi)
• 魔(ま)術士(じゅつし) (majutsushi)
• 魔道(まどう) (madō)
• 魔(ま)道師(どうし) (madōshi)
• 魔(ま)道士(どうし) (madōshi)
• 魔導(まどう) (madō)
• 魔(ま)導師(どうし) (madōshi)
• 魔(ま)導士(どうし) (madōshi)
• 魔法(まほう) (mahō)
• 魔(ま)法円(ほうえん) (mahōen)
• 魔(ま)法師(ほうし) (mahōshi)
• 魔(ま)法士(ほうし) (mahōshi)
• 魔人(まじん) (majin)
• 魔女(まじょ) (majo)
• 魔男(まだん) (madan)
• 破魔(はま) (hama)
• 祓(ふつ)魔(ま) (futsuma)
• 魔(ま)力(りょく) (maryoku)
• 放火(ほうか)魔(ま) (hōkama)
• 魔(ま)法瓶(ほうびん) (mahōbin)
• 通(とお)り魔(ま) (tōrima)
• 使(つか)い魔(ま) (tsukaima)
• 魔(ま)が差(さ)す (magasasu)
• 魔(ま)の海(うみ) (ma-no-umi)
• 魔除(まよ)け (mayoke)
• お邪魔(じゃま)虫(むし) (ojamamushi)
• 誤魔化(ごまか)す (gomakasu)

Etymology

Kanji in this term
魔
ま Grade: S
goon

From Middle Chinese 魔 (MC ma).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) ま [mà] (Heiban – [0])
• (Tokyo) ま [máꜜ] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [ma̠]

Affix

魔(ま) • (ma) 

1. demon, devil, evil spirit, evil influence

Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 魔 (MC ma). Recorded as Middle Korean 마 (ma) (Yale: ma) in Hunmong Jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527.

Hanja

魔 (eumhun 마귀 마 (magwi ma))

1. hanja form^? of 마 (“demon”)

Compounds

• 마귀 (魔鬼, magwi, “devil; demon ghost”)
• 마녀 (魔女, manyeo, “witch, sorceress”)
• 마력 (魔力, maryeok, “magical power/strength”)
• 마법 (魔法, mabeop, “magic”)
• 마술 (魔術, masul, “magic”)
• 악마 (惡魔, angma, “demon; devil; fiend”)

References

• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典. [1]

Vietnamese

Han character

魔: Hán Việt readings: ma

1. chữ Hán form of ma (“ghost”)