奇怪
qíguài
The English word "weird" is translated into Chinese as 奇怪 (qíguài).
奇怪 is used to describe things that deviate from the normal or are bizarre. It can function as an adjective meaning "weird" or "strange", but it can also function as a verb meaning "to find something strange" or "to wonder".
Meaning: deviating from the normal, bizarre (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word 奇怪 is composed of 奇 (qí), meaning "rare" or "strange" and 怪 (guài), meaning "strange" or "to blame/suspicious".
Which one should you use?
While 奇怪 is a general term for anything "weird" or "strange", the term 古怪 is often used specifically to describe a person's eccentric or peculiar personality or behavior.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using 奇怪 as an adjective to describe a state, it is common to precede it with an adverb of degree like 很 (hěn, "very") even if you do not strictly mean "very".
How do you pronounce it?
qíguài
Did you know?
- The character 奇 can mean 'strange', but it is also the word for 'odd numbers' in mathematics, linking the concept of 'weirdness' to the mathematical concept of 'odd'.
- In spoken Chinese, the word 怪 is often used as a shorthand for 'very' in a causal way, such as 怪好的 ('quite good'), which is entirely different from its meaning in 奇怪.
- To describe something as 'weirdly' eerie or supernatural, speakers often use 诡异, which suggests a deceptive or ghostly strangeness rather than just a simple oddity.
Examples in context
- 很奇怪，不是么？It's weird isn't it?This example shows how to express that something is weird using the adjective 奇怪.Tatoeba #3043969 by sadhen, translation #1520769 by Spamster
- 那真奇怪，不是么？That's weird, isn't it?Tatoeba #5931775 by verdastelo9604, translation #3539241 by Hybrid
- 我踩到了什么奇怪的东西了。I stepped on something weird.This example shows how to describe stepping on something weird using the adjective 奇怪.Tatoeba #5100143 by mirrorvan, translation #4378281 by boukensha
- 这个现象真奇怪。This phenomenon is really weird.
- 他的行为总是很奇怪。His behavior is always very strange.
- 今天天气真怪。The weather is really weird today.
- 这个电影真的有点怪。This movie is really a bit strange.
- 22 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are walking in a park at night.
- 梓涵 Zihan伟，你觉得这里的气氛很奇怪吗？Wěi, nǐ juédé zhèlǐ de qìfēn hěn qíguài ma?Wei, do you think the atmosphere here is weird?
- 伟 Wei是的，我觉得有点奇怪。Shì de, wǒ juédé yǒudiǎn qíguài.Yes, I think it's a bit weird.
- 梓涵 Zihan我们快点走吧。Wǒmen kuài diǎn zǒu ba.Let's walk faster.
- 伟 Wei好，我也想早点回家。Hǎo, wǒ yě xiǎng zǎodiǎn huí jiā.Okay, I want to go home early too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “weird” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
