お化け

Japanese

Kanji in this term
化
ば Grade: 3
kun'yomi

Alternative spelling
御化け

Etymology

From お (o-, general honorific prefix) +‎ 化け (bake, 連(れん)用(よう)形(けい) (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of the verb 化(ば)ける (bakeru, “to change oneself into”)).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) おばけ [òbáꜜkè] (Nakadaka – [2])
• IPA^(key): [o̞ba̠ke̞]

Noun

お化(ば)け • (obake) 

1. apparition, specter, ghost

   お化(ば)けが出(で)る。

   Obake ga deru.

   To be haunted.

Derived terms

• お化(ば)け屋(や)敷(しき) (obake yashiki, “haunted house”, literally “ghost house”)
• 提(ちょう)灯(ちん)お化(ば)け (chōchin'obake, “chochinobake, a ghost that resembles a lantern”, literally “paper lantern ghost”)

See also

• 化(ば)け物(もの) (bakemono)