嚇人 / 吓人
xiàrén
The English word 'creepy' can be translated into Chinese as 嚇人 / 吓人 (xiàrén) or 恐怖.
Meaning: causing discomfort or repulsion (adj)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 嚇人 / 吓人 | xiàrén |
| 恐怖 | kǒngbù |
In Chinese, there are several ways to express different nuances of 'creepy'. Use 嚇人 / 吓人 for something that is startling or scary. If you want to describe an eerie, unsettling or mystifying atmosphere, you can use the formal terms 怪异 for something weird or 詭異 for a sense of uncanniness. For a gloomy or eerie atmosphere in an informal context, use 阴森森. If you want to describe a feeling that is so creepy it makes your hair stand on end, use the idiom 毛骨悚然.
Which one should you use?
While both terms can translate to 'creepy', 恐怖 is much stronger and is used for things that are truly terrifying or horrific, whereas 嚇人 / 吓人 is more common for things that are simply startling or scary.
How do you pronounce it?
xiàrén
Did you know?
- While 嚇人 translates to 'scaring people', it is frequently used as a hyperbolic compliment for an impressive skill or an unexpectedly large number.
- To describe a 'creepy-crawly' feeling on the skin, a speaker might use 起鸡皮疙瘩, which literally means 'growing chicken skin bumps'.
- The idiom 毛骨悚然 literally translates to 'hairs standing up on the bones'. It evokes the physical sensation of goosebumps caused by extreme fear or creepiness.
Examples in context
- 那个房子看起来很怪异。That house looks very strange.
- 他的举止很阴森森的。His behavior is very eerie.
- 这里让我感到很毛骨悚然。This place gives me the creeps.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “creepy” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
