邪魔

Chinese

		daemonical; iniquitous; nefarious	devil
trad. (邪魔)		邪	魔
simp. #(邪魔)		邪	魔

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): xiémó

  (Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄝˊ ㄇㄛˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): ce⁴ mo¹

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: xiémó
    • Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄝˊ ㄇㄛˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: siémó
    • Wade–Giles: hsieh²-mo²
    • Yale: syé-mwó
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shyemo
    • Palladius: семо (semo)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕi̯ɛ³⁵ mu̯ɔ³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: ce⁴ mo¹
    • Yale: chèh mō
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tse⁴ mo¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: cé⁴ mo¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰɛː²¹ mɔː⁵⁵/

Noun

邪魔

1. evil spirit; demon; devil

Synonyms

• 凶煞 (xiōngshà) (literally or figuratively)
• 凶神 (xiōngshén) (literally or figuratively)
• 妖 (yāo)
• 妖孽 (yāoniè)
• 妖怪 (yāoguài)
• 妖物 (yāowù)
• 妖精 (yāojīng)
• 妖鬼 (yāoguǐ)
• 妖魔 (yāomó)
• 孽 (niè) (literary, or in compounds)
• 怪物 (guàiwu)
• 惡魔／恶魔 (èmó) (literally or figuratively)
• 煞 (Taiwanese Hokkien)
• 煞神 (shàshén) (literary, literally or figuratively)
• 精怪 (jīngguài)
• 精靈／精灵 (jīnglíng)
• 魔 (mó) (literary, or in compounds)
• 魔障 (mózhàng) (Buddhism)
• 魔鬼 (móguǐ) (literally or figuratively)

 

Derived terms

• 邪魔外道

 

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (邪魔):

• → Japanese: 邪(じゃ)魔(ま) (jama)
• → Korean: 사마(邪魔) (sama)
• → Vietnamese: tà ma (邪魔)

Japanese

Kanji in this term
邪	魔
じゃ Grade: S	ま Grade: S
on’yomi

Alternative forms

• Including the honorific prefix お (o-): お邪魔(じゃま) (o-jama), 御邪魔(おじゃま) (o-jama)

Etymology

Originally a Buddhist term, imported into Japanese when Buddhism was introduced to Japan, some time during the Kofun, Asuka, and Nara periods.

From Middle Chinese 邪魔 (*zia *mɑ?, literally “wrong, evil, perverse” + “devil, demon”). Compare modern Mandarin 邪魔 (xiémó).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) じゃま [jàmá] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [d͡ʑa̠ma̠]

Noun

邪(じゃ)魔(ま) • (jama) 

1. (Buddhism) a demon or devil of perversity, a hindrance to the practice of Buddhism
2. (more generally) an obstacle, a hindrance, interference

   箱(はこ)をここに放(ほう)るのは邪魔(じゃま)だよ。

   Hako o koko ni hōru no wa jama da yo.

   Those boxes you threw down here are in the way.

3. a nuisance, a bother

   電話(でんわ)の邪魔(じゃま)をしないでください。

   Denwa no jama o shinaide kudasai.

   Please don't be a nuisance when I'm on the phone. → Please don't interrupt my phone calls.

4. (figurative, idiomatic, humble) a visit

   Usually prefixed with the honorific お (o-). Said of oneself visiting someone else, never said of others.

   来週(らいしゅう)お邪魔(じゃま)にあがってもよろしいでしょうか。

   Raishū ojama ni agatte mo yoroshii deshō ka.

   Would it be all right to visit you next week?

Synonyms

Synonyms

(obstacle):

• 妨害(ぼうがい) (bōgai)
• 障害(しょうがい) (shōgai)
• 障壁(しょうへき) (shōheki)

(hindrance):

• 支障(ししょう) (shishō)
• 妨(さまた)げ (samatage)

(a bother, a trouble):

• 厄介(やっかい) (yakkai)

(visit):

• 訪問(ほうもん) (hōmon) (in general, not humble)

Verb

邪(じゃ)魔(ま)する • (jama suru) suru (stem 邪(じゃ)魔(ま)し (jama shi), past 邪(じゃ)魔(ま)した (jama shita))

1. to impede, to obstruct

   そのパイプが通過(つうか)を邪魔(じゃま)しています。

   Sono paipu ga tsūka o jama shite imasu.

   That pipe is impeding passage.

2. to be a bother, obstacle, nuisance, hindrance

   宿題(しゅくだい)しているから邪魔(じゃま)しないでくれ。

   Shukudai shite iru kara jama shinaide kure.

   I'm doing my homework, so don't bother me.

Conjugation

Conjugation of "邪魔する" (See Appendix:Japanese verbs.)

Katsuyōkei ("stem forms")
Mizenkei ("imperfective")	邪魔し	じゃまし	jama shi
Ren’yōkei ("continuative")	邪魔し	じゃまし	jama shi
Shūshikei ("terminal")	邪魔する	じゃまする	jama suru
Rentaikei ("attributive")	邪魔する	じゃまする	jama suru
Kateikei ("hypothetical")	邪魔すれ	じゃますれ	jama sure
Meireikei ("imperative")	邪魔せよ¹ 邪魔しろ²	じゃませよ¹ じゃましろ²	jama seyo¹ jama shiro²
Key constructions
Passive	邪魔される	じゃまされる	jama sareru
Causative	邪魔させる 邪魔さす	じゃまさせる じゃまさす	jama saseru jama sasu
Potential	邪魔できる	じゃまできる	jama dekiru
Volitional	邪魔しよう	じゃましよう	jama shiyō
Negative	邪魔しない	じゃましない	jama shinai
Negative continuative	邪魔せず	じゃませず	jama sezu
Formal	邪魔します	じゃまします	jama shimasu
Perfective	邪魔した	じゃました	jama shita
Conjunctive	邪魔して	じゃまして	jama shite
Hypothetical conditional	邪魔すれば	じゃますれば	jama sureba
¹ Written imperative ² Spoken imperative

Idioms

• お邪魔(じゃま)します (ojama shimasu): literally: “I'm being a bother / I'm bothering you” → said upon arrival when visiting someone's place: “hello, sorry for any trouble”

Synonyms

• (impede): 妨(さまた)げる (samatageru)

Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
邪	魔

Noun

邪魔

1. chữ Hán form of tà ma (“bad ghost”).