鬼

guǐ
#1,040 most
frequent character
ghost, spirit, apparition
noun
adjective

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

鬼 shows a person with a large skull; the soul was thought to leave through the soft spot after death. So it first meant 'ghost, spirit.' It grew to devil or monster, then to an addict, and to a sinister plot.

Drawn as: person with large skull

鬼 as a component in other characters

meaning11 characters
魔魂魄魇魑魉魃魍魈魆魖
sound10 characters
魏愧瑰魁槐巍傀隗嵬蒐
picture1 character
魅
empty1 character
蒐

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Example Sentences

我在这个古老的房子里看见了鬼。
wǒzài zhègè gǔlǎo de fángzǐ lǐ kànjiàn le guǐ 。
I saw a ghost in this old house.
他的鬼主意总是让大家惊讶。
tāde guǐzhǔyì zǒngshì ràng dàjiā jīngyà 。
His clever tricks always surprise everyone.
这个故事非常恐怖，有很多鬼。
zhègè gùshì fēicháng kǒngbù ， yǒu hěnduō guǐ 。
This story is very scary, there are many ghosts.

Words with similar meanings

幽灵yōulíng
phantom
This term is more formal and often refers to the spirit of a deceased person.
精灵jīnglíng
sprite
This is a more whimsical term, often used in a fantasy context.

Homophones

轨guǐ
(bound form) rail, track, course

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