邪魔

邪魔

Chinese

		demonical; iniquitous; nefarious	devil
simp. and trad. (邪魔)		邪	魔

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): xiémó

  (Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄝˊ ㄇㄛˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): ce⁴ mo¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: xiémó
    • Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄝˊ ㄇㄛˊ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shyemo
    • IPA ^(key): /ɕi̯ɛ³⁵ mu̯ɔ³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: ce⁴ mo¹
    • Yale: chèh mō
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tse⁴ mo¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: cé⁴ mo¹
    • IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰɛː²¹ mɔː⁵⁵/

Noun

邪魔

1. evil spirit; demon; devil

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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 (じゃ)魔 (ま) (ojama), 御 (お)邪 (じゃ)魔 (ま) (ojama)

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

• On’yomi: Goon
  • (Tokyo) じゃま [jàmá] (Heiban – [0])[1]
  • IPA^(key): [d͡ʑa̠ma̠]

Noun

邪魔 (hiragana じゃま, rōmaji 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 (じゃ)魔 (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 (でん)話 (わ)の邪 (じゃ)魔 (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. (figuratively, 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 (じゃ)魔 (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 (し)障 (しょう) (shishō)
• 妨 (さまた)げ (samatage)

(a bother, a trouble):

• 厄介 (やっかい) (yakkai)

(visit):

• 訪 (ほう)問 (もん) (hōmon) (in general, not humble)

Verb

邪魔する (hiragana じゃまする, rōmaji jama suru)

1. to impede, to obstruct

   そのパイプが通 (つう)過 (か)を邪 (じゃ)魔 (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 (じゃ)魔 (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.)

Stem forms
Imperfective (未然形)	邪魔し	じゃまし	jama shi
Continuative (連用形)	邪魔し	じゃまし	jama shi
Terminal (終止形)	邪魔する	じゃまする	jama suru
Attributive (連体形)	邪魔する	じゃまする	jama suru
Hypothetical (仮定形)	邪魔すれ	じゃますれ	jama sure
Imperative (命令形)	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 (じゃ)魔 (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)

References

1. 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN

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Vietnamese

Hanja in this term
邪	魔

Noun

邪魔

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