Japanese meaning of 疑心暗鬼
Reading:
ぎしんあんき (gishin anki)
English Translation:
Suspicion makes one see ghosts
Meaning & Cultural Context
Meaning:
Suspicion breeds fear; literally “doubt creates dark ghosts.”
Cultural Context:
A Buddhist-derived proverb, widely used in psychology, crime reporting, and interpersonal advice.
疑いが生じると、ないことまで恐ろしく感じること。
仏教由来の故事成語で、心理学、事件報道、人間関係の助言で広く使われる。
Grammar & Learning Points
Grammar Point
• Noun phrase for mistrust breeding suspicion; often with “に陥る.”
Trap for English Speakers
May be misunderstood as meaning paranoia in a medical sense.
Example
Basic Example
疑心暗鬼にかられて行動が鈍る。
Suspicion makes one hesitant to act.
Applied Example
疑心暗鬼にかられた彼は、仲間の笑顔さえ嘘に見えた。
Consumed by suspicion, he began to see even his friends’ smiles as lies.