妖

妖 U+5996, 妖 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5996 ← 妕 [U+5995] CJK Unified Ideographs 妗 → [U+5997]

Translingual

Han character

妖 (Kangxi radical 38, 女+4, 7 strokes, cangjie input 女竹大 (VHK), four-corner 4243₄, composition ⿰女夭)

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 256, character 20
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 6086
• Dae Jaweon: page 520, character 18
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1031, character 7
• Unihan data for U+5996

Chinese

trad.		妖
simp. #		妖
alternative forms		𡝩

Glyph origin

Characters in the same phonetic series (夭) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
笑	*sqʰows
夭	*qoːwʔ, *qrow, *qrowʔ
镺	*qoːwʔ, *qoːws
芺	*qoːwʔ, *qrowʔ
妖	*qrow
祅	*qrow
枖	*qrow
訞	*qrow
殀	*qrowʔ
仸	*qrowʔ
妋	*pa, *qu
飫	*qos
沃	*qoːwɢ
鋈	*qoːwɢ

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *qrow) : semantic 女 + phonetic 夭 (OC *qoːwʔ, *qrow, *qrowʔ).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yāo (yao¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄧㄠ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): jiu² / jiu¹
• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): yêu
• Northern Min (KCR): iáu
• Eastern Min (BUC): iĕu
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): iau

  (Teochew, Peng'im): iao¹

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ¹iau

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yāo
    • Zhuyin: ㄧㄠ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yao
    • Wade–Giles: yao¹
    • Yale: yāu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: iau
    • Palladius: яо (jao)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jɑʊ̯⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: jiu² / jiu¹
    • Yale: yíu / yīu
    • Cantonese Pinyin: jiu² / jiu¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: yiu² / yiu¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jiːu̯³⁵/, /jiːu̯⁵⁵/
• Hakka
  • (Northern Sixian, incl. Miaoli)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: yêu
    • Hakka Romanization System: ieu^ˊ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: yeu¹
    • Sinological IPA: /i̯eu̯²⁴/
  • (Southern Sixian, incl. Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: yêu
    • Hakka Romanization System: (r)ieu^ˊ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: yeu¹
    • Sinological IPA: /(j)i̯eu̯²⁴/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: iáu
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /iau⁵⁴/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: iĕu
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ieu⁵⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: iau
    • Tâi-lô: iau
    • Phofsit Daibuun: iaw
    • IPA (Xiamen): /iau⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /iau³³/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /iau⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Taipei): /iau⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /iau⁴⁴/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: iao¹
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: iau
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /iau³³/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ¹iau
    • MiniDict: iau^平
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹iau
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /iɔ⁵³/

---

• Dialectal data

Variety	Location	edit 妖
Mandarin	Beijing	/iɑu⁵⁵/
	Harbin	/iau⁴⁴/
	Tianjin	/iɑu²¹/
	Jinan	/iɔ²¹³/
	Qingdao	/iɔ²¹³/
	Zhengzhou	/iau²⁴/
	Xi'an	/iau²¹/
	Xining	/iɔ⁴⁴/
	Yinchuan	/iɔ⁴⁴/
	Lanzhou	/iɔ³¹/
	Ürümqi	/iɔ⁴⁴/
	Wuhan	/iau⁵⁵/
	Chengdu	/iau⁵⁵/
	Guiyang	/iao⁵⁵/
	Kunming	/iɔ⁴⁴/
	Nanjing	/iɔo³¹/
	Hefei	/iɔ²¹/
Jin	Taiyuan	/iau¹¹/
	Pingyao	/iɔ¹³/
	Hohhot	/iɔ³¹/
Wu	Shanghai	/iɔ⁵³/
	Suzhou	/iæ⁵⁵/
	Hangzhou	/ʔiɔ³³/
	Wenzhou	/j̠iɛ³³/
Hui	Shexian	/iɔ³¹/
	Tunxi	/io¹¹/
Xiang	Changsha	/iau³³/
	Xiangtan	/iaɯ³³/
Gan	Nanchang	/iɛu⁴²/
Hakka	Meixian	/iau⁴⁴/
	Taoyuan	/ieu²⁴/
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/jiu³⁵/
	Nanning	/jiu⁵⁵/
	Hong Kong	/jiu³⁵/
Min	Xiamen (Hokkien)	/iau⁵⁵/
	Fuzhou (Eastern Min)	/ieu⁴⁴/
	Jian'ou (Northern Min)	/iau⁵⁴/
	Shantou (Teochew)	/iau³³/
	Haikou (Hainanese)	/iau²³/

---

• Middle Chinese: 'jew

Rime
Character	妖
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	影 (34)
Final (韻)	宵 (92)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	於喬切
Baxter	'jew
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ʔˠiᴇu/
Pan Wuyun	/ʔᵚiɛu/
Shao Rongfen	/ʔiæu/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʔiaw/
Li Rong	/ʔjɛu/
Wang Li	/ĭɛu/
Bernhard Karlgren	/ʔi̯ɛu/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	yāo
Expected Cantonese Reflex	jiu1

• Old Chinese

  (Zhengzhang): /*qrow/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	妖
Reading #	1/1
No.	14627
Phonetic component	夭
Rime group	宵
Rime subdivision	3
Corresponding MC rime	妖
Old Chinese	/*qrow/

Definitions

妖

1. abnormal or bizarre thing or phenomenon

   • 妖由人興也。人無釁焉，妖不自作，人棄常則妖興。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     妖由人兴也。人无衅焉，妖不自作，人弃常则妖兴。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Commentary of Zuo, c. 4^th century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Yāo yóu rén xīng yě. Rén wú xìn yān, yāo bù zì zuò, rén qì cháng zé yāo xìng. [Pinyin]

     Monsters and monstrous events take their rise from men. If men afford no cause for them, they do not arise of themselves. When men abandon the constant course of virtue, then monstrosities appear.

   事體老妖個。 [Shanghainese, trad.]
   事体老妖个。 [Shanghainese, simp.]

   From: 2011, Hu Baotan, 弄堂

   ⁶zy-thi ⁶lau ¹iau-gheq [Wugniu]

   It's quite an odd happenstance.

2. demon; goblin

   貓妖／猫妖  ―  māoyāo  ―  cat goblin

3. evil and fraudulent

   妖術／妖术  ―  yāoshù  ―  witchcraft; sorcery

   妖言惑眾／妖言惑众  ―  yāoyánhuòzhòng  ―  to deceive people with lies and fallacies

4. (literary) gorgeous; beautiful; charming

   • 美女妖且閑，采桑歧路間。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     美女妖且闲，采桑歧路间。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: 3rd century, Cao Zhi, 美女篇 ("On a Beautiful Woman"), translated by Wu (1998)

     Měinǚ yāo qiě xián, cǎi sāng qílù jiān. [Pinyin]

     That beautiful woman is charming and graceful, she is plucking mulberries at the crossways.

5. (chiefly of women) bizarrely dressed or behaving frivolously

   妖裡妖氣／妖里妖气  ―  yāolǐyāoqì  ―  seductive and bewitching

6. (Cantonese, vulgar) yuck! (used in place of its near-homophone 屌 (diu2))

Synonyms

• (demon):

edit

• 凶煞 (xiōngshà) (literally or figuratively)
• 凶神 (xiōngshén) (literally or figuratively)
• 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)
• 邪魔 (xiémó)
• 魔 (mó) (literary, or in compounds)
• 魔障 (mózhàng) (Buddhism)
• 魔鬼 (móguǐ) (literally or figuratively)

 

Compounds

• 人妖 (rényāo)
• 做妖撒妖
• 凶妖
• 厲妖 / 厉妖
• 國妖 / 国妖
• 地妖
• 夜妖
• 天妖
• 天災地妖 / 天灾地妖
• 妄妖
• 妖人 (yāorén)
• 妖倖 / 妖幸
• 妖偽 / 妖伪
• 妖僮
• 妖兇 / 妖凶
• 妖冶 (yāoyě)
• 妖凶
• 妖化
• 妖厲 / 妖厉
• 妖咎
• 妖夢 / 妖梦
• 妖女 (yāonǚ)
• 妖妄
• 妖妙
• 妖妖
• 妖妖調調 / 妖妖调调
• 妖姿
• 妖妍
• 妖姬
• 妖媚 (yāomèi)
• 妖嫻 / 妖娴
• 妖嫺 / 妖娴
• 妖嬈 / 妖娆 (yāoráo)
• 妖嬌 / 妖娇
• 妖孽 (yāoniè)
• 妖幸
• 妖幻
• 妖彗
• 妖形怪狀 / 妖形怪状
• 妖忌
• 妖怪 (yāoguài)
• 妖惑
• 妖星
• 妖服
• 妖桃
• 妖氛
• 妖氣 / 妖气
• 妖沴
• 妖法 (yāofǎ)
• 妖淫
• 妖災 / 妖灾
• 妖物 (yāowù)
• 妖玩
• 妖由人興 / 妖由人兴
• 妖異 / 妖异
• 妖眚
• 妖神
• 妖祥
• 妖祲
• 妖童
• 妖精 (yāojīng)
• 妖聲妖氣 / 妖声妖气
• 妖蠱 / 妖蛊
• 妖術 / 妖术 (yāoshù)
• 妖術惑眾 / 妖术惑众
• 妖術邪法 / 妖术邪法
• 妖裡妖氣 / 妖里妖气 (yāolǐyāoqì)
• 妖言 (yāoyán)
• 妖言惑眾 / 妖言惑众 (yāoyánhuòzhòng)
• 妖訛 / 妖讹
• 妖誕 / 妖诞
• 妖調 / 妖调
• 妖變 / 妖变
• 妖豔 / 妖艳 (yāoyàn)
• 妖賊 / 妖贼
• 妖道 (yāodào)
• 妖邪 (yāoxié)
• 妖野
• 妖鏡 / 妖镜
• 妖閑 / 妖闲
• 妖雰 / 妖氛
• 妖霧 / 妖雾
• 妖靡
• 妖韶
• 妖風 / 妖风 (yāofēng)
• 妖饒 / 妖饶
• 妖魅
• 妖魑
• 妖魔 (yāomó)
• 妖魔鬼怪 (yāomóguǐguài)
• 妖麗 / 妖丽
• 妖麼 / 妖么
• 姝妖
• 婦妖 / 妇妖
• 嫺妖 / 娴妖
• 射妖
• 小妖
• 小妖精 (xiǎoyāojīng)
• 屍妖 / 尸妖 (shīyāo)
• 山妖
• 巫妖 (wūyāo)
• 平妖傳 / 平妖传
• 幽妖
• 怪妖
• 憑妖 / 凭妖
• 成妖作怪
• 撒妖
• 文妖
• 斷怪除妖 / 断怪除妖
• 服妖 (fúyāo)
• 木妖
• 構妖 / 构妖
• 氛妖
• 水妖 (shuǐyāo)
• 淫妖
• 災妖 / 灾妖
• 照妖鏡 / 照妖镜 (zhàoyāojìng)
• 物妖
• 狐妖
• 甘妖
• 生妖作怪
• 畫妖 / 画妖
• 疆妖
• 眚妖
• 石妖
• 神妖鬼怪
• 祥妖
• 義妖傳 / 义妖传
• 老妖精
• 胡妖
• 興妖作亂 / 兴妖作乱
• 興妖作孽 / 兴妖作孽
• 興妖作怪 / 兴妖作怪
• 花妖
• 花妖子
• 草妖
• 蛇妖 (shéyāo)
• 蜺妖
• 蟲妖 / 虫妖
• 裝妖作怪 / 装妖作怪
• 詩妖 / 诗妖
• 謠妖 / 谣妖
• 豔紫妖紅 / 艳紫妖红
• 貓妖 / 猫妖 (māoyāo)
• 賣妖嬈 / 卖妖娆
• 踐妖 / 践妖
• 逞妖
• 避妖圈
• 閻妖 / 阎妖
• 閻羅妖 / 阎罗妖
• 降妖 (xiángyāo)
• 韃妖 / 鞑妖
• 食妖
• 驅妖 / 驱妖
• 鴻妖 / 鸿妖
• 黃妖 / 黄妖
• 墨妖
• 鼓妖
• 鼠妖

 

Further reading

• “妖”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎^[1], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

Japanese

Kanji

妖

(Jōyō kanji)

1. attractive
2. bewitching
3. calamity

Readings

• Go-on: よう (yō, Jōyō)^{←えう (eu, historical)}
• Kan-on: よう (yō, Jōyō)^{←えう (eu, historical)}
• Kun: あやしい (ayashii, 妖しい, Jōyō)、およずれ (oyozure, 妖)^{←およづれ (oyodure, 妖, historical)}、なまめく (namameku, 妖めく)、わざわい (wazawai, 妖い)^{←わざはひ (wazafafi, 妖ひ, historical)}

Compounds

Compounds

• 妖(およずれ)人(びと) (oyozurebito): a person who leads others astray with their words
• 妖異(ようい) (yōi): something strange and mysterious; a monster or phantom
• 妖艶(ようえん) (yōen), 妖婉(ようえん) (yōen): bewitchingly attractive; seductive
• 妖花(ようか) (yōka): a strangely beautiful flower; metaphorically, a strangely beautiful woman
• 妖怪(ようかい) (yōkai): a monster, a phantom
• 妖気(ようき) (yōki): a weird or unearthly feeling
• 妖姫(ようき) (yōki): a seductively beautiful princess, a distractingly attractive woman
• 妖狐(ようこ) (yōko): a demon fox, kitsune
• 妖犬(ようけん) (yōken): a demon dog, such as the inugami or yamainu
• 妖猫(ようびょう) (yōbyō): a demon cat, such as the bakeneko, nekomata or kasha
• 妖教(ようきょう) (yōkyō): a religion that leads people astray; heresy
• 妖孽(ようげつ) (yōgetsu): a strange calamity; an omen or portent of misfortune
• 妖言(ようげん) (yōgen), 妖(およずれ)言(ごと) (oyozuregoto): a malicious rumor
• 妖光(ようこう) (yōkō): a strange and inauspicious light
• 妖術(ようじゅつ) (yōjutsu): witchcraft, sorcery
• 妖法(ようほう) (yōhō)
• 妖道(ようどう) (yōdō)
• 妖術師(ようじゅつし) (yōjutsushi): a witch, a sorcerer
• 妖女(ようじょ) (yōjo): a seductively or distractingly beautiful woman; a vamp; a female fairy, a siren
• 妖星(ようせい) (yōsei): an inauspicious or unlucky star
• 妖精(ようせい) (yōsei): fairy
• 妖精症(ようせいしょう) (yōseishō): (medical): leprechaunism, a manifestation of secondary insulin resistance
• 妖美(ようび) (yōbi): seductively beautiful
• 妖婦(ようふ) (yōfu): a seductress, a vamp
• 妖変(ようへん) (yōhen): a strange accident, emergency, or calamity
• 妖魔(ようま) (yōma): a monster, a demon
• 妖冶(ようや), 妖艶(ようや), 妖婉(ようや) (yōya): bewitchingly attractive; seductive
• 妖厄神(ようやくじん) (yōyakujin): a god of disaster and calamity; a god of disease and misfortune
• 妖霊(ようれい) (yōrei): an evil spirit; a phantom
• 妖霊星(ようれいぼし), 妖星(ようれいぼし) (yōreiboshi): an inauspicious or unlucky star
• 妖麗(ようれい), 妖美(ようれい) (yōrei): seductively beautiful
• 妖化(ようか) (yōka): a demonic entity or transformation

Etymology 1

Noun

妖(およずれ) • (oyozure) ^{←およづれ (oyodure)?}

1. baseless rumors about a person
2. short form of 妖(およずれ)言(ごと) (oyozuregoto), of the same meaning

Synonyms

• 妖(およずれ)言(ごと) (oyozuregoto)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
妖
よう Grade: S
on'yomi

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [jo̞ː]

Affix

妖(よう) • (yō) 

1. attractive
2. bewitching

Korean

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “Middle Korean readings, if any”)

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [jo]
• Phonetic hangul: [요]

Hanja

Wikisource

妖 • (yo) (hangeul 요)

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Vietnamese

Han character

妖: Hán Nôm readings: yêu, èo

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.