魔法

Chinese

		devil	law; method; way law; method; way; Buddhist teaching; Legalist; France (abbrev.)
trad. (魔法)		魔	法
simp. ^#(魔法)		魔	法

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): mófǎ

(Zhuyin): ㄇㄛˊ ㄈㄚˇ
Cantonese (Jyutping): mo¹ faat³
Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): mor² hah⁶
Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): mô͘-hoat

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: mófǎ
  - Zhuyin: ㄇㄛˊ ㄈㄚˇ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: mófǎ
  - Wade–Giles: mo²-fa³
  - Yale: mwó-fǎ
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: mofaa
  - Palladius: мофа (mofa)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /mu̯ɔ³⁵ fä²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: mo¹ faat³
  - Yale: mō faat
  - Cantonese Pinyin: mo¹ faat⁸
  - Guangdong Romanization: mo¹ fad³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /mɔː⁵⁵ faːt̚³/
Puxian Min
- (Putian)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: mor² hah⁶ [Phonetic: mor⁴ hah⁶]
  - Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: mó̤-hah
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /mɒ¹³⁻⁴² haʔ²¹/
- (Xianyou)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: mor² hah⁶ [Phonetic: mor⁴ hah⁶]
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /mɒ²⁴⁻⁴² haʔ²/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: mô͘-hoat
  - Tâi-lô: môo-huat
  - Phofsit Daibuun: mo'hoad
  - IPA (Xiamen): /mɔ̃²⁴⁻²² huat̚³²/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /mɔ̃²⁴⁻²² huat̚⁵/
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /mɔ̃¹³⁻²² huat̚³²/
  - IPA (Taipei): /mɔ̃²⁴⁻¹¹ huat̚³²/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /mɔ̃²³⁻³³ huat̚³²/

Middle Chinese: ma pjop

Rime
Character	魔	法
Reading #	1/1	1/1
Initial (聲)	明 (4)	幫 (1)
Final (韻)	戈 (95)	乏 (148)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Checked (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Closed	Closed
Division (等)	I	III
Fanqie	莫婆切	方乏切
Baxter	ma	pjop
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/muɑ/	/pɨɐp̚/
Pan Wuyun	/muɑ/	/piɐp̚/
Shao Rongfen	/muɑ/	/piɐp̚/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/mwa/	/puap̚/
Li Rong	/muɑ/	/piɐp̚/
Wang Li	/muɑ/	/pĭwɐp̚/
Bernhard Karlgren	/muɑ/	/pi̯wɐp̚/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	mó	fa
Expected Cantonese Reflex	mo⁴	faat³

Noun

魔法

magic; wizardry; witchcraft; sorcery
(Internet, euphemistic, slang) A VPN (virtual private network).

Usage notes

In modern times, this term is often associated with magic in Western fairy tales and popular culture.

Derived terms

白魔法 (báimófǎ)
魔法少女 (mófǎ shàonǚ)
魔法師 / 魔法师 (mófǎshī)
魘魔法 / 魇魔法
黑魔法 (hēimófǎ)

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (魔法):

→ Japanese: 魔(ま)法(ほう) (mahō)
→ Korean: 마법(魔法) (mabeop)
→ Vietnamese: ma pháp (魔法)

Japanese

Kanji in this term
魔	法
ま Grade: S	ほう Grade: 4
on'yomi

Etymology

Apparently from Middle Chinese compound 魔法 (MC ma pjop, literally “devil, magic + law, method”). Compare modern Min Nan reading mô͘-hoat.

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) まほー [màhóó] (Heiban – [0])^[1]^[2]
IPA^(key): [ma̠ho̞ː]

Noun

魔(ま)法(ほう) • (mahō)

the arts of magic, spellcraft, witchcraft, wizardry, sorcery
spellwork such as magical formulas, incantations, spells, etc.
魔法(まほう)をかける
mahō o kakeru
to cast magic
an organized body or system of magical use, i.e. Wicca, the Kabbalah and Onmyōdō

Usage notes

The term for magic as a trick performed by a modern magician is 手品 (tejina).

Synonyms

Derived terms

魔法師(まほうし) (mahōshi), 魔法士(まほうし) (mahōshi): magic master or specialist, sorcerer
魔法円(まほうえん) (mahōen): magic circle
魔法少女(まほうしょうじょ) (mahōshōjo): magical girl
魔法使(まほうつか)い (mahōtsukai): magician
魔法瓶(まほうびん) (mahōbin): vacuum flask
魔法(まほう)の杖(つえ) (mahō no tsue): magic wand

References

^ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN
^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

Korean

Hanja in this term
魔	法

Noun

魔法 • (mabeop) (hangeul 마법)

hanja form^? of 마법 (“magic”)

Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
魔	法

Noun

魔法

chữ Hán form of ma pháp (“magic”)