怪 meaning and stroke order
Odd; strange; uncanny; (bound form) monster; supernatural being; to find strange; to regard as odd
How to write 怪, stroke by stroke
8 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 怪
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- odd; strange; uncanny
- (bound form) monster; supernatural being
- to find strange; to regard as odd
- to blame
- (coll.) somewhat; rather
- variant of 怪[guai4]
How 怪 is built
Components of the character.
Radical: 忄 (heart), shared by 167 characters on this site.
How to remember 怪
怪 is made of the heart radical 忄 on the left and 圣 on the right. Picture a heart 忄 reacting to something it cannot explain, a feeling of "that's strange."
怪 most often appears in words like 奇怪 (qíguài, strange) and 难怪 (nánguài, no wonder), and it can also mean "to blame." Example: 这件事不怪你。(Zhè jiàn shì bù guài nǐ.) This is not your fault.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse the right side 圣 with 至 or 坚's top, and write 怪 with extra strokes. Also, do not mix up 难怪 (nánguài, no wonder) with 奇怪 (qíguài, strange); 难怪 introduces an explanation, not a feeling of surprise.
Common words with 怪
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 奇怪 | qíguài | strange; odd | HSK 3 |
| 怪物 | guàiwu | monster; freak | HSK 7-9 |
| 古怪 | gǔguài | strange; weird | HSK 7-9 |
| 难怪 | nánguài | (it's) no wonder (that...); (it's) not surprising (that) | HSK 7-9 |
| 怪异 | guàiyì | monstrous; strange | HSK 7-9 |
| 责怪 | zéguài | to blame; to rebuke | HSK 7-9 |
| 妖怪 | yāoguài | monster; devil | HSK 7-9 |
| 怪不得 | guàibude | no wonder!; so that's why! | HSK 7-9 |
| 大惊小怪 | dàjīng-xiǎoguài | to make a fuss about nothing (idiom) | HSK 7-9 |
| 怪兽 | guàishòu | rare animal; mythical animal | |
| 怪胎 | guàitāi | freak; abnormal embryo | |
| 怪人 | guàirén | strange person; eccentric | |
| 怪事 | guàishì | strange thing; curious occurrence | |
| 怪罪 | guàizuì | to blame |
怪 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 怪
How many strokes are in 怪?
怪 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 怪 mean?
怪 (guài) means odd; strange; uncanny; (bound form) monster; supernatural being; to find strange; to regard as odd. A common word with it is 奇怪 (qíguài), meaning "strange; odd".
How do you pronounce 怪?
怪 is pronounced guài, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 怪?
The radical of 怪 is 忄, which carries the idea of "heart". Dictionaries list 怪 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 怪?
The traditional form of 怪 is 恠. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 怪 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 怪 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 怪 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 难怪 and 怪不得?
Both mean "no wonder" and are usually interchangeable. 怪不得 is a bit more colloquial, and it can also mean "you can't blame (someone)," as in 这怪不得他 (zhè guàibude tā).
Can 怪 be used as an adverb meaning "rather"?
Yes, in casual speech 怪 means "quite" or "rather," usually with 的 at the end. For example, 怪冷的 (guài lěng de) means "pretty cold."