Chinese word

古怪

Pronunciation

Pinyingǔ guài

Meaning

  • adjectivestrange

Example

她的想法有点古怪。tā de xiáng fǎ yóu diǎn gǔ guài

Her idea is a little strange.

Illustration for 古怪 (strange)

More examples

那栋房子外观看起来很古怪。nà dòng fáng zi wài guān kàn qǐ lái hěn gǔ guài

That house looks very strange from the outside.

Core concept

A noticeable step outside the usual pattern in behavior, ideas, or things.

Common phrases

  • 有点古怪yóu diǎn gǔ guài

    a little strange

  • 古怪的举动gǔ guài de jǔ dòng

    strange behavior

  • 看起来古怪kàn qǐ lái gǔ guài

    look strange

Similar words

奇怪qí guài: Strange in a noticeable way that feels unusual and draws attention.
异常yì cháng: Outside the normal standard or usual state, and therefore not considered normal.
怪异guài yì: Bizarre in appearance or atmosphere, often creating an unsettling feeling.
离奇lí qí: So strange that an event or its course seems hard to believe.

Definition in Chinese

用于形容与常态不同、让人觉得奇怪或难以理解的行为、想法或事物。yòng yú xíng róng yǔ cháng tài bù tóng ràng rén jué de qí guài huò nán yǐ lí jiě de xíng wéi xiáng fǎ huò shì wù

Word origin

古 (gǔ, "old") + 怪 (guài, "strange") creates a compound for an unusual and puzzling quality rather than simple difference.

Usage tips

  • For everyday remarks, 有点 (yǒudiǎn, "a little") before 古怪 (gǔguài, "strange") signals mild surprise, whereas the unsoftened word can sound strongly negative when it describes someone.

Other meanings

  • eccentricadjective
  • bizarreadjective

Opposites

Word lists with this word