As we approach ハロウィーン (harowīn, Halloween) on Oct. 31, you’re more likely to see spooky decorations at shops and homes, and you might also hear the word 気味 (kimi, sensation/feeling) in your Japanese conversations.

To convey the idea of “spooky,” Japanese speakers will often use the word 不気味な (bukimina) or the term 気味が悪い (kimi ga warui). Both suggest something feels kind of off: この道は夜になると気味が悪い (Kono michi wa yoru ni naru to kimi ga warui, This street feels spooky when night falls).

More specifically, both terms maintain an original word and add modifiers to create the opposite meaning. For example, 不気味な uses the prefix 不 (fu/bu), which acts like the English “un~” or “non~,” while 気味が悪い literally means “the feeling is bad,” but in context is understood as “spooky,” “creepy” and “uneasy.”

不気味な仮装は大人には人気ですが、子ども達を怖がらせてしまうかもしれません (Bukimina kasō wa otona niwa ninki desu ga, kodomo tachi o kowagarasete shimau kamo shiremasen, Although spooky costumes are popular among adults, they might scare children). Such a 仮装 (kasō, costume) would elicit a reflexive 怖い！ (Kowai!, Scary!) from most kids. The i-adjective 怖い is the most basic way to point out something frightening, and is used by people of any age. Here, the original verb, 怖がる (kowagaru), means “to be afraid of”: うちの猫は水をひどく怖がる (Uchi no neko wa mizu o hidoku kowagaru, My cat is terribly afraid of water). You’ll also hear its conjugated form, 怖がらせる (kowagaraseru), quite often, as it means causing someone to be scared: 動物園では動物を怖がらせないように気をつけましょう (Dōbutsuen dewa dōbutsu o kowagarasenai yōni ki o tsukemashō, At the zoo, let’s make sure not to frighten the animals).

The kanji used in these terms, 怖 (fu/kowa[i]), pops up a lot during this season, but not necessarily to express serious fears: 怖いもの見たさで仮装パーティーに行ってみる (Kowaimono mitasa de kasō pātī ni itte-miru, Curiosity getting the better of fear, I’m going to the costume party) or, given past Halloweens, 渋谷の混雑に怖気づいてしまった (Shibuya no konzatsu ni ojikezuite shimatta, I got cold feet because of the crowd in Shibuya).

Add 怖 to another Japanese word, 恐怖 (kyōfu, fear), and the addition of 恐 (kyō/oso[reru]/oso[roshii], dread) will elevate your fear to a level of greater horror. That’s because the kanji and the adjective it’s used in, 恐ろしい (osoroshii, dreadful/terrifying) is often used when facing a serious threat or danger.

Additionally, 恐 is used in the words 恐竜 (kyōryū, dinosaur), whose English equivalent comes from the Greek for “terrible lizard,” and 恐慌 (kyōkō, panic), a word that is used in 世界恐慌 (sekai kyōkō, the Great Depression [of the 1930s]). Compared to 怖い, 恐ろしい is much more serious: 恐ろしいホラー映画を見て眠れなかった (Osoroshii horā eiga o mite nemurenakatta, I couldn’t sleep after watching a bone-chilling horror film).

That being said, the word 恐れ (osore, fear/concern) is used more often to express apologies. For instance, you may have heard a store clerk say, 恐れ入りますが (osoreirimasu ga, I beg your pardon, but) as a more polite version of すみませんが (sumimasen ga, excuse me, but). For example, 恐れ入りますが、もう少し詳しく説明していただけますか (Osoreirimasu ga, mō sukoshi kuwashiku setsumei shite-itadakemasu ka, I’m sorry to trouble you, but would you elaborate a bit more specifically?) The phrase can also be substituted with 恐縮ですが (kyōshuku desu ga, I’m sorry, but), a staple in the Japanese workplace. You may have already heard the introductory phrase お忙しいところ恐縮ですが (o-isogashii tokoro kyōshuku desu ga, I’m sorry for bothering you when you’re busy) before some requests.

The tricky thing is that Japanese embraces many kinds of おそれ (osore) using multiple kanji. One such example, 畏れ (osore), carries a sense of awe and respect: 自然の偉大さに畏れを感じる (Shizen no idaisa ni osore o kanjiru, I feel awe at the grandeur of nature). That kanji is also used in 畏怖 (ifu), which translates as another type of fear that holds a hint of respect.

Something else causing fear is the approaching American election. 11月の大統領選の結果によっては、大きな混乱を招くおそれがあります (Jūichi gatsu no daitōryōsen no kekka ni yotte wa, ōkina konran o maneku osore ga arimasu, Depending on the outcome of the presidential election in November, there is a risk of a major upheaval). Here, you might actually feel a certain fear, but the おそれ used originally comes from the kanji 虞 (osore), which conveys worry and concern. It is usually written in hiragana, however, so if you’re talking about 雨のおそれ (ame no osore, a chance of rain), you’re indicating a concern rather than a fear of a stormy forecast.

「お菓子をくれなきゃいたずらするぞ」と言って仮装で出かけるのは楽しいものですが、暗くなると体を冷やしてしまうおそれがあります (“Okashi o kurenakya itazura suruzo” to itte kasō de dekakeru no wa tanoshii mono desu ga, kuraku naru to karada o hiyashite shimau osore ga arimasu, It’s fun to go out in costume, saying “trick or treat,” but you might get chilly after dark). Stay warm and have a spooktacular ハロウィーン!