Meaning of 奇怪
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- strange
- odd
- to marvel
- to be baffled
How to use 奇怪
奇怪 is the everyday word for strange or odd, used for people, things and situations. It can also be a verb meaning to find something strange or be puzzled. Example: 他今天很奇怪。(Tā jīntiān hěn qíguài.) He is acting strange today.
Both halves mean something unusual: 奇 (qí) is rare or odd, and 怪 (guài) has the heart radical 忄, like a feeling that something is off. Put an odd thing together with an uneasy heart and you get 奇怪, strange.
Common mistake: Learners often read 奇 as jī, which is its pronunciation in 奇数 (jīshù, odd number), but in 奇怪 it is always qí with a second tone. Also, 怪 is fourth tone (guài), not third.
奇怪 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
奇 qí · strange · 8 strokes
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怪 guài · odd · 8 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 奇怪.
| 好奇 | hàoqí | inquisitive; curious |
| 神奇 | shénqí | magical; mystical |
| 奇妙 | qímiào | wonderful; marvelous; intriguing; mysterious; strange |
| 怪物 | guàiwu | monster; freak |
| 奇迹 | qíjì | miracle; wonder; marvel |
| 古怪 | gǔguài | strange; weird |
| 难怪 | nánguài | (it's) no wonder (that...); (it's) not surprising (that) |
| 怪异 | guàiyì | monstrous; strange |
| 传奇 | chuánqí | legendary; fantasy saga |
| 惊奇 | jīngqí | to be amazed; to be surprised |
| 责怪 | zéguài | to blame; to rebuke |
| 妖怪 | yāoguài | monster; devil |
Questions about 奇怪
What does 奇怪 mean?
奇怪 (qíguài) means "strange; odd" and is used as a adjective.
How do you write 奇怪?
奇怪 is made of 2 characters: 奇 (8 strokes), 怪 (8 strokes). That is 16 strokes in total.
Is 奇怪 an HSK word?
Yes. 奇怪 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How do you say 'I find it strange that...' with 奇怪?
You can use 奇怪 as a verb: 我很奇怪他为什么没来。(Wǒ hěn qíguài tā wèishénme méi lái.) I wonder why he did not come. A common set phrase is 真奇怪 (zhēn qíguài), how strange.
What is the difference between 奇怪 and 古怪?
奇怪 is neutral and very common for anything unexpected or puzzling. 古怪 (gǔguài) suggests weird or eccentric, often describing someone's personality or odd habits, and sounds a bit more negative.