What does “obake” mean in Japanese?
Native speakers say “obake” to mean ‘ghost’ in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this word as it is sometimes used in Japanese movies, songs, novels, manga, anime, and the like. In this blog post, however, I will explain this word in detail based on its grammatical parts. And also, I will explain how to use it through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners understand “obake” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meaning of “obake”
Let me start with the definition and meaning of “obake”.
- obake – お化け (おばけ) : a noun meaning ‘ghost’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.
Japanese native speakers use this noun to refer to the spirit of a dead person. In addition, they sometimes use this as a metaphor for someone like a ghost. So, its usages are similar to those of the English noun, “ghost”, I think.
The definition and meaning are simple and clear. To understand this noun more clearly, however, let me explain its grammatical parts in detail, one by one.
Breakdown of “obake”
“Obake” consists of the following two parts:
- o – お : a prefix making its following word polite.
- bake – 化け (ばけ) : a word considered as the noun form of the verb, “bakeru”, which means ‘to shape-shift’ or ‘to transform’ in Japanese. This can also be found in other words like “bakemono“.
From these two parts, we can understand that “obake” is grammatically the polite expression for someone who can shape-shift. And actually, it is. Japanese people are often afraid of ghosts and therefore use this polite expression to show their respect.
When we meet new Japanese words, we should check their parts in detail to understand their meanings clearly and deeply. In many cases, grammatical parts tell us a lot about the meanings of the words they form. Actually, here, we could get the better understanding of “obake” through the detailed check above.
So far, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “obake” together with its grammatical parts. Then, let me explain how to use it through the example sentences below.
Example #1: how to say “ghost” in Japanese
kanojo wa obake wo mi ta to it ta – 彼女はお化けを見たと言った (かのじょはおばけをみたといった)
She said she saw a ghost.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- kanojo – 彼女 (かのじょ) : a pronoun meaning ‘she’ in Japanese.
- wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “kanojo” to make the subject in the sentence.
- wo – を : a case particle used to make the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “obake” to make the object in the sentence.
- mi – 見 (み) : one conjugation of the verb, “miru“, which means ‘to see’, ‘to watch’, ‘to look’, 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, the first “ta” is used after “mi” to make its past tense form, “mi ta”.
- to – と : a case particle working as a quote marker. In the example, this works after the clause, “obake wo mi ta”, to indicate what “kanojo” 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.
This is a typical usage of “obake”. In the example, it works as a part of the clause, “obake wo mi ta”, which literally means ‘to have seen a ghost’ in Japanese.
Example #2: another usage of “obake”
watashi wa obake wo shinji masu – 私はお化けを信じます (わたしはおばけをしんじます)
I believe in ghosts.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- watashi – 私 (わたし) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese.
- shinji – 信じ (しんじ) : one conjugation of the verb, “shinjiru“, which means ‘to believe’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
- masu – ます : an auxiliary verb used after a verb to make it polite. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese masu form. In the example, this is used after “shinji” to make it sound polite.
This is another typical usage of “obake”. When we want to mean ‘ghosts’ in Japanese, this noun is always a very good option.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “obake” in detail based on its grammatical parts. And also, I’ve explained how to use it through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.
- obake – お化け (おばけ) : a noun meaning ‘ghost’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Japanese native speakers use this noun to refer to the spirit of a dead person. In addition, they sometimes use this as a metaphor for someone like a ghost. This noun is grammatically the polite expression for someone who can shape-shift. Japanese people are often afraid of ghosts and therefore use the polite expression to show their respect.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.