ghost

Origin & mnemonic

This radical derives from a pictograph in oracle-bone script depicting a human figure with an enlarged pyramidal head, understood to represent the shape of a spirit or the dead, which later extended to mean ghost or deity.

Mnemonic: A figure with a large pyramidal head is the image of a ghost.

• 鬼guǐ🔊

  disembodied spirit; ghost; devil

  HSK 5

  9 strokes

• 魂hún🔊

  soul; spirit; immortal soul (that can be detached from the body)

  HSK 7

  13 strokes

• 魁kuí🔊

  chief

  13 strokes

• 魀gà🔊

  old variant of 尬[ga4]

  13 strokes

• 魃bá🔊

  drought demon

  14 strokes

• 魄pò🔊

  (literary) soul; mortal soul (i.e. attached to the body)

  14 strokes

• 魅mèi🔊

  demon

  14 strokes

• 魆xū🔊

  dim; dark

  14 strokes

• 魇yǎn🔊

  to have a nightmare

  15 strokes

• 魈xiāo🔊

  used in 山魈[shan1 xiao1]

  16 strokes

• 魉liǎng🔊

  used in 魍魎|魍魉[wang3 liang3]

  16 strokes

• 魏wèi🔊

  tower over a palace gateway (old)

  17 strokes

• 魊yù🔊

  variant of 蜮[yu4]

  17 strokes

• 魋tuí🔊

  Japanese brown bear

  17 strokes

• 魌qī🔊

  mask of a god used in ceremonies to exorcise demons and drive away pestilence

  17 strokes

• 魍wǎng🔊

  used in 魍魎|魍魉[wang3 liang3]

  17 strokes

• 魑chī🔊

  used in 魑魅[chi1 mei4]

  19 strokes

• 魔mó🔊

  (bound form) evil spirit; devil

  20 strokes

• 魖xū🔊

  used in 黑魖魖[hei1 xu1 xu1]

  20 strokes