魔 meaning and stroke order
Demon, evil spirit; magic, spell
How to write 魔, stroke by stroke
20 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 18
- 19
- 20
Meaning of 魔
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) evil spirit; devil
- (prefix) supernatural; magical
How 魔 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Demon.
鬼 gives the meaning and 麻 hints at the sound.
Radical: 鬼 (ghost), shared by 17 characters on this site.
How to remember 魔
魔 is built from 鬼 (guǐ, ghost) tucked under 麻 (má), which gives the sound. Picture a ghost hiding under a hemp-covered roof: a ghost with extra power becomes a demon.
魔 is a bound form, so it usually appears inside words like 魔鬼 (móguǐ, devil), 魔术 (móshù, magic tricks) and 魔法 (mófǎ, magic, spells). It can also act like a prefix meaning magical or supernatural, as in 魔力 (mólì, magic power). Example: 他会变魔术。(Tā huì biàn móshù.) He can do magic tricks.
Common mistake: Learners often write 麻 (má) when they mean 魔, or forget that 鬼 sits inside the 广-shaped frame of 麻, with the 麻 frame drawn first. The tone is second tone mó, not the third tone of 魔's neighbor 抹 (mǒ) or the fourth tone of 磨 (mò) in some readings.
Common words with 魔
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 魔鬼 | móguǐ | devil | HSK 7-9 |
| 魔术 | móshù | magic | HSK 7-9 |
| 恶魔 | èmó | demon; fiend | |
| 魔法 | mófǎ | enchantment; magic | |
| 魔力 | mólì | magic; magic power | |
| 魔术师 | móshùshī | magician | |
| 魔王 | mówáng | devil king; evil person | |
| 魔女 | mónǚ | witch; sorceress | |
| 魔法师 | mófǎshī | magician; wizard | |
| 魔杖 | mózhàng | magic wand | |
| 魔咒 | mózhòu | (magical) spell; curse | |
| 驱魔 | qūmó | to drive out devils; to exorcise | |
| 魔幻 | móhuàn | magical; magic | |
| 食人魔 | shírénmó | ogre |
魔 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 魔
How many strokes are in 魔?
魔 is written with 20 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 魔 mean?
魔 (mó) means demon, evil spirit; magic, spell. A common word with it is 魔鬼 (móguǐ), meaning "devil".
How do you pronounce 魔?
魔 is pronounced mó, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 魔?
The radical of 魔 is 鬼, which carries the idea of "ghost". Dictionaries list 魔 under this radical.
Is 魔 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 魔 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 魔术 and 魔法?
魔术 (móshù) means stage magic or sleight of hand, the kind a 魔术师 (móshùshī) performs. 魔法 (mófǎ) means real supernatural magic or spells, as in fantasy stories.
How do 魔 and 磨 differ, since they look alike?
Both use 麻 on top, but 魔 has 鬼 (ghost) inside while 磨 (mó, to grind) has 石 (stone). Think ghost for demons and stone for grinding.