What does “akuma” mean in Japanese?
Native speakers say “akuma” normally to mean ‘devil’ in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this word as it is sometimes used in Japanese movies, video games, novels, manga, anime, and the like. In this blog post, however, I will explain this word in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I will explain how to use it through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners to understand “akuma” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meanings of “akuma”
Let me start with the definition and meanings of “akuma”.
- akuma – 悪魔 (あくま) : a noun meaning ‘devil’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural. Depending on the situation and context, this can also mean ‘demon’, ‘fiend’, or such.
Native speakers use this noun normally to refer to a devil in Japanese. In addition, they sometimes use this as a metaphor for someone who behaves like a devil. So, its usages are similar to those of the English nouns above.
The definition and meanings are simple and clear, I think. To understand this noun more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji characters in detail, one by one.
Akuma in kanji
The kanji expression of “akuma” consists of the following two characters:
- 悪 : a kanji character widely used to mean ‘bad’, ‘evil’, or such in Japanese. This kanji can also be found in other words like “warui” and “akumu“.
- 魔 : a kanji character used to mean ‘devil’, ‘demon’, or something supernatural. This kanji can also be found in other words like “mahou“.
These two kanji characters tell us that “akuma” literally means a bad devil in Japanese. This literal interpretation is very close to the actual meanings. Devils are basically bad and evil.
When we meet new kanji expressions, we should check their kanji characters in detail to understand their meanings clearly and deeply. In many cases, kanji characters tell us a lot about the meanings of the expressions they form. Actually, here, we could get the better understanding of “akuma” through the detailed kanji check above.
So far, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “akuma” and its kanji characters in detail. Then, let me explain how to use it through the example sentences below.
Example #1: how to say “devil” in Japanese
kare wa akuma ni naru to it ta – 彼は悪魔になると言った (かれはあくまになるといった)
He said he would become a devil.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- kare – 彼 (かれ) : a pronoun meaning ‘he’ in Japanese.
- wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “kare” to make the subject in the sentence.
- ni – に : a case particle used to say what someone or something becomes after a change or action. In this example, this is used after “akuma” to say what “kare” would become.
- naru – なる : a verb meaning ‘to become’, ‘to turn’, ‘to get’, or such in Japanese.
- to – と : a case particle working as a quote marker. In the example, this works after “akuma ni naru” to indicate what “kare” said.
- it – 言っ (いっ) : one conjugation of the verb, “iu”, which means ‘to say’, ‘to tell’, or such in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
- ta – た : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its past tense form. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese ta form. In the example, this is used after “it” to make its past tense form, “it ta”.
This is a typical usage of “akuma”. In this example, it refers to a devil. I’ve never seen a person become a devil, but this kind of expression is often used in Japanese movies, manga, anime, and the like, I think.
Example #2: another usage of “akuma”
akuma wa tenshi yori tsuyoi – 悪魔は天使より強い (あくまはてんしよりつよい)
Devils are stronger than angels.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- tenshi – 天使 (てんし) : a noun meaning ‘angel’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural.
- yori – より : a case particle working as a comparison marker. In the example, this is used after “tenshi” to provide the target of the comparison.
- tsuyoi – 強い (つよい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘strong’ in Japanese.
This is another typical usage of “akuma”. In this example, it works as plural to say “devils” in Japanese. When we want to say “devil” or “devils” in Japanese, this noun is always a very good option.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “akuma” in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I’ve explained how to use it through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.
- akuma – 悪魔 (あくま) : a noun meaning ‘devil’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Depending on the situation and context, this can mean ‘demon’ or ‘fiend’ as well. These two kanji characters literally mean a bad devil in Japanese. This literal interpretation is very close to the actual meanings.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
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