HSK · Level 21
135 words
Chinese word
怪不得
Pronunciation
Pinyinguài bu de
Meaning
- adverbno wonder
Example
他说已经住院了，怪不得一直没回消息。tā shuō yǐ jīng zhù yuàn le guài bu de yì zhí méi huí xiāo xī
He said he was already in the hospital, so no wonder he hasn't replied.
More examples
他每天都练习中文，怪不得考试得了高分。tā měi tiān dōu liàn xí zhōng wén guài bu de kǎo shì dé le gāo fēn
He practices Chinese every day, so no wonder he got a high score on the exam.
Core concept
A missing piece falls into place, turning puzzlement into acceptance.
Common phrases
怪不得她一直不说话guài bu de tā yì zhí bù shuō huà
no wonder she has been so quiet
怪不得考试成绩这么好guài bu de kǎo shì chéng jì zhè me hǎo
no wonder the exam results are so good
Similar words
难怪nán guài: Marks recognition that a known cause naturally explains an earlier result or situation.
果然guǒ rán: Confirms that something happened just as expected.
原来yuán lái: Introduces a newly understood fact or reason that explains the situation.
Definition in Chinese
表示在听到原因后觉得合乎道理、不能责怪或不感到惊讶的副词，含“难怪”“原来如此”的意思。biǎo shì zài tīng dào yuán yīn hòu jué de hé hū dào lǐ bù néng zé guài huò bù gǎn dào jīng yà de fù cí hán nán guài yuán lái rú cǐ de yì si
Word origin
怪不得 (guàibùdé, "cannot blame") presents an outcome as something that cannot fairly be blamed once its cause is known, which leads naturally to an accepting reaction.
Usage tips
- For English-speaking learners, its tone is broader than a surprised reaction because speakers also use it to show that an outcome is reasonable without criticizing anyone involved.
Other meanings
- understandableadverb
- that makes senseadverb