Bakemono meaning and its similar expressions, explained in detail

How to say “monster(s)” in Japanese

Japanese people would use either of the following words: “bakemono”, “kaibutsu” or “kaijuu”. All of them can mean monster(s) in Japanese, but there are subtle differences among them. We need to choose a proper word depending on what a monster looks like and whether it has experienced a transformation. In this blog post, I will explain the meaning of “bakemono” in detail based on its kanji expression. Then, I will explain the other two and the differences. Let’s get started!

Contents

• Definition and meanings of “bakemono”
• Kanji characters used in “bakemono”
• Definition and meanings of “kaibutsu”
• Kanji characters used in “kaibutsu”
• Definition and meanings of “kaijuu”
• Kanji characters used in “kaijuu”
• Summary

Definition and meanings of “bakemono”

First of all, let me start with the definition and meanings of “bakemono”.

• bakemono – 化け物 (ばけもの) : a noun meaning ‘monster’, ‘specter’, ‘ghost’ or just something bizarre.

Its grammatical definition is quite easy, I think. It is just a noun. But its meanings are a bit confusing. So, let me explain them based on its kanji characters.

Kanji characters used in “bakemono”

Below are the kanji characters used in the noun, “bakemono”.

• 化 – a kanji character used to mean a change, transformation or metamorphosis. Depending on the situation and context, it can also be used to express something changed, transformed or metamorphosed.
• 物 – a kanji character used to mean a thing, matter or stuff. It can also be found in words like “tabemono” and “nomimono“.

From these two kanji characters, we can understand that “bakemono” literally means things which experienced a change, transformation or metamorphosis. This is the basic concept lying under its meanings. Because of this concept, “bakemono” is suitable to express something bizarre which has changed, transformed or metamorphosed from something else. Depending on the situation, it can also be used to express something in the middle of a change, transformation or metamorphosis. So, things called “bakemono” in Japanese sometimes still have a human shape. Conversely, it’s not suitable to express natural-born monsters. For this purpose, the other two would be better.

Definition and meanings of “kaibutsu”

Let me explain the definition and meanings of “kaibutsu”.

• kaibutsu – 怪物 (かいぶつ) : a noun meaning ‘monster’, ‘specter’, ‘ghost’ or just something bizarre.

Its grammatical definition and meanings are basically the same as those of “bakemono”. In addition, their kanji expressions look quite similar. The only one new is the first kanji of “kaibutsu”. It should be the key to understanding the difference between “kaibutsu” and “bakemono”. Let me explain it in detail.

Kanji characters used in “kaibutsu”

Below are the ones.

• 怪 – a kanji character used to mean ‘weird’, ‘strange’, ‘suspicious’, ‘questionable’, ‘unreliable’ or ‘unusual’.
• 物 – the same as explained above.

From these two kanji characters, we can understand that “kaibutsu” can literally mean something weird, strange, suspicious, unreliable or unusual. This concept formed by its kanji tells us that “kaibutsu” can be used to express something weird in general, regardless of whether it has experienced a change or not. So, its meanings are not limited to ‘monster’. It can also be used to express something unusual or even people doing unusual things. Actually, “kaibutsu” is quite often used to call sports players who can do incredible, superhuman-like things. To tell the truth, “bakemono” can also be used for this purpose, to call super players. But, it sounds a bit too casual. So, Japanese people use “kaibutsu” much more often for this usage.

The last one, “kaijuu”, is more like a dedicated word for natural-born monsters.

Definition and meanings of “kaijuu”

Below are the grammatical definition and meanings of “kaijuu”.

• kaijuu – 怪獣 (かいじゅう) : a noun meaning ‘monster’ or ‘monstrous beast’.

To understand how it’s different from the other two explained above, let me explain its kanji characters in detail.

Kanji characters used in “kaijuu”

Below are the kanji characters used in “kaijuu”.

• 怪 – the same as explained above.
• 獣 – a kanji character often used to mean ‘beast’ or ‘animal’ in Japanese.

From these two kanji characters, we can understand that “kaijuu” literally means ‘weird beast’, ‘strange beast’ or some such. So, it can be considered as a dedicated word for monsters. And actually, it is. Japanese people normally use it to express natural-born monsters, in other words, monsters that keep their shapes as monsters since they were born (without any change from something else). Due to this concept formed by its kanji, its meanings are limited to ‘monster’ or ‘monstorous animal’. We should avoid using it even as a metaphor for superhuman-like players. They still have a human shape. In English, “beast” or “monster” is often used to call a superhuman-like player. But, in Japanese, it is not that common.

Summary

In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “bakemono” in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I’ve explained the similar words: “kaibutsu” and “kaijuu”. Let me summarize them as follows.

• bakemono – 化け物 (ばけもの) : a noun meaning ‘monster’, ‘specter’, ‘ghost’ or just something bizarre. These two kanji literally mean things which experienced a change, transformation or metamorphosis.
• kaibutsu – 怪物 (かいぶつ) : a noun meaning ‘monster’, ‘specter’, ‘ghost’ or just something bizarre. These two kanji literally mean something weird, strange, suspicious, unreliable or unusual. It can also be used to express sports players doing superhuman-like things.
• kaijuu – 怪獣 (かいじゅう) : a noun meaning ‘monster’ or ‘monstrous beast’. These two kanji literally mean ‘weird beast’, ‘strange beast’ or some such. So, it is more like a dedicated word for natural-born monsters.

Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.