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鬼 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
Hanzi
Pinyin
English
Tags
鬼
guǐ
ghost
HSK 7, n, 9 strokes, radical 鬼, rank #745, Very Hard
鬼
guǐ
sly
HSK 7, n, 9 strokes, radical 鬼, rank #745, Very Hard
鬼
guǐ
crafty
HSK 7, n, 9 strokes, radical 鬼, rank #745, Very Hard
鬼
guǐ
ghost; demon; sly, mischievous
HSK 7, n, 9 strokes, radical 鬼, rank #745, Very Hard
鬼
guǐ
terrible
HSK 7, unknown, 9 strokes, radical 鬼, rank #745, Very Hard
鬼
guǐ
damnable
HSK 7, unknown, 9 strokes, radical 鬼, rank #745, Very Hard
鬼
guǐ
clever
HSK 7, unknown, 9 strokes, radical 鬼, rank #745, Very Hard
鬼
guǐ
(suffix for sb with a certain vice or addiction etc)
HSK 7, unknown, 9 strokes, radical 鬼, rank #745, Very Hard
鬼
guǐ
one of the 28 constellations
HSK 7, unknown, 9 strokes, radical 鬼, rank #745, Very Hard
guǐ(gui3)gui T3
1ghost
2sly
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March 24, 2026
鬼guǐ(gui3)
The character 鬼 (guǐ) primarily means 'ghost' or 'demon' in Mandarin. It can also imply someone who is sly or crafty, often used to describe a person with cunning traits. In a cultural context, ghosts are significant in Chinese traditions, often associated with ancestral worship and festivals like Qingming.
Strokes9Radical鬼Frequency#745DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note
In Chinese culture, ghosts are often seen during the Hungry Ghost Festival, where it is believed that spirits return to the living world. The character reflects this deep-rooted belief in the supernatural and the importance of honoring ancestors.
Memory tip
Imagine a ghost (鬼) sneaking around slyly, wearing a mask that has a sly grin. The character is complex but think of the '鬼' as a ghostly figure hiding in shadows, representing both the supernatural and cleverness.
Meanings of 鬼
guǐ(gui3)
1ghost
2sly
Exercise 1 of 2
By ear
Play it, then pick what 鬼 means.
About 鬼
鬼Simplified
9Strokes
鬼Radical
名形词xíngróngcíadj-noun (adj.-n.)Part of Speech
#745Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7IntermediateHSKKL3CEFRB2
Podcast: 鬼
Podcast: 鬼
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AI study notes for 鬼
Quick Contrast
鬼 (guǐ, ghost) vs 精 (jīng, spirit) — use 鬼 for malevolent or ghostly entities, while 精 refers to a more benign or ethereal spirit.
Usage Notes
When using 鬼, be mindful of the context; it can have both negative and neutral connotations. Common collocations include 鬼怪 (guǐguài - monster) and 鬼魂 (guǐhún - ghost spirit). Avoid using it in overly formal settings, as it may come off as informal or colloquial.
HSK Study Tips
Although 鬼 is not included in the HSK levels, it connects with themes of supernatural and emotional vocabulary that are common in storytelling. Students should focus on recognizing and using it in idiomatic expressions and cultural references.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse the tone and pronounce 鬼 as 'gui' instead of 'guǐ'. Additionally, some may use it inappropriately in formal contexts, where a more neutral term would be better.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 鬼
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The character 鬼 (guǐ) primarily means 'ghost' or 'demon' in Mandarin. It can also imply someone who is sly or crafty, often used to describe a person with cunning traits. In a cultural context, ghosts are significant in Chinese traditions, often associated with ancestral worship and festivals like Qingming.
When to use 鬼
When using 鬼, be mindful of the context; it can have both negative and neutral connotations. Common collocations include 鬼怪 (guǐguài - monster) and 鬼魂 (guǐhún - ghost spirit). Avoid using it in overly formal settings, as it may come off as informal or colloquial.
鬼 or something close to it
鬼 (guǐ, ghost) vs 精 (jīng, spirit) — use 鬼 for malevolent or ghostly entities, while 精 refers to a more benign or ethereal spirit.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse the tone and pronounce 鬼 as 'gui' instead of 'guǐ'. Additionally, some may use it inappropriately in formal contexts, where a more neutral term would be better.
Write 鬼
鬼
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Practice writing 鬼 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar patterns of 鬼
鬼 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 9 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
Exercise 1 of 4
Fill the gap
Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.
惠特比镇因为布拉姆·斯托克著名的吸血____故事而名传后世。
The town of whitby was immortalised in Bram Stoker's famous Dracula story.
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Word Family of 鬼
Compounds48
魔módevil
魂húnold variant of 魂[hún]
魅mèidemon
愧kuìold variant of 愧[kuì]
瑰guīextraordinary, fabulous; rose; semi-precious stone
魁kuíchief, leader; best; monstrous
魄pòsoul
魏wèithe kingdom of Wei; surname
傀guīgreat, gigantic; puppet
魇yǎnnightmare, bad dream
槐huáilocust tree
塊kuàipiece, lump, chunk; dollar; measure word for currency
嵬wéirugged, rocky, precipitous
廆wěi
溾āi
磈wěi
蒐sōucollect, gather, assemble; seek; spring hunt; assemble for war
隗kuíhigh, lofty; surname
魀gà
魃bádrought demon
魆xūblack; sudden; to beguile
魈xiāomischievious mountain spirit
魉liǎnga kind of monster
魊yù
魋tuí
魌qī
魍wǎngdemon, mountain spirit
魑chīa mountain demon resembling a tiger
魖xūblack
媿kuì
瘣huì
聭kuì
螝guī
謉kuì
醜chǒuugly; shameful; comedian, clown
餽kuì
騩guī
鬽mèi
鬾jì
鬿qí
魎liǎnga kind of monster
魐gān
魒piāo
魓bì
魕jǐ
魗chǒu
魘yǎnnightmare, bad dream
魙zhān
Words containing this character20
鬼guǐghost
见鬼jiànguǐcurse it!見鬼
魔鬼móguǐdevil
吸血鬼xīxuèguǐleech
鬼魂guǐhúnghost
鬼子guǐzidevils
小鬼xiǎoguǐimp
酒鬼jiǔguǐdrunkard
胆小鬼dǎnxiǎoguǐcoward膽小鬼
鬼混guǐhùnto hang around
鬼话guǐhuàlie鬼話
鬼脸guǐliǎnwry face鬼臉
鬼鬼祟祟guǐguǐsuìsuìsneaky
鬼神guǐshénsupernatural beings
闹鬼nàoguǐhaunted鬧鬼
醉鬼zuìguǐdrunkard
死鬼sǐguǐdevil
色鬼sèguǐlecher
鬼魅guǐmèidemon
鬼怪guǐguàihobgoblin
Exercise 1 of 4
Characters with 鬼
What does 魔 mean?
Frequently asked questions about 鬼
Common phrases with 鬼 (guǐ) include '鬼怪' (guǐguài), meaning 'ghosts and monsters,' and '鬼故事' (guǐ gùshì), which means 'ghost stories.' These phrases often appear in cultural contexts, especially around festivals like Halloween or the Ghost Festival.
Yes, 鬼 (guǐ) is sometimes used in modern slang to describe someone who is exceptionally clever or crafty. For example, calling someone '鬼才' (guǐ cái) means they are a genius or very talented. This usage reflects the flexibility of the character in both traditional and contemporary language.
鬼 (guǐ) primarily means 'ghost' or 'demon' in Chinese. It can also describe someone who is clever or sly. The character is often used in contexts related to supernatural beings or as an adjective to describe something terrible or damnable.
鬼 (guǐ) can be used in various contexts. For example, you could say '这个地方很鬼' (zhège dìfāng hěn guǐ), meaning 'This place is very eerie.' It can also be used in idiomatic expressions such as '鬼鬼祟祟' (guǐ guǐ suì suì), which describes someone acting stealthily or sneaky.
Common phrases include 鬼怪 (guǐguài - monster) and 鬼魂 (guǐhún - ghost spirit).
Yes, while it often has negative connotations, it can also describe cleverness or craftiness in a positive light, depending on context.
The correct pronunciation is 'guǐ', with a falling-rising tone.
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