见鬼
jiàn guǐ
The English phrase "what the heck" is expressed in Chinese as 见鬼 (jiàn guǐ).
见鬼 is used as an exclamation to express frustration, surprise or disbelief.
Meaning: softer form of "what the hell" (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, 见鬼 means "to see ghosts".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
While it serves as a softer alternative to more vulgar curses, 见鬼 remains an informal and colloquial expression.
How does it change in a sentence?
You can express that a frustrating or strange situation has occurred by adding the particle 了 (le) to the end of the phrase, as in 真是见鬼了 (it's really freaking/hecking weird).
How do you pronounce it?
jiàn guǐ
When do people say it?
In addition to 见鬼, you may encounter the very informal and somewhat playful phrase 妈呀！, which is used to express surprise, shock or disbelief.
Did you know?
- In certain contexts, calling a child a 小鬼 or 'little ghost' is an affectionate way to call them a rascal.
- The character 鬼 is an ideogram that originally depicted a creature with a large head and a long tail, reflecting ancient visions of the spirit world.
- If you use 见鬼 in a business setting, it may sound significantly more colorful and informal than the English 'what the heck' might suggest in a professional environment.
Examples in context
- 妈呀！这是怎么回事？What the heck! What's going on here?
- 真是见鬼，电脑又坏了。Zhēnshi jiànguǐ, diànnǎo yòu huài le.What the heck, the computer broke again.
Example conversation
Xiaowen and Haoran are looking for a lost set of keys.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen我的钥匙怎么不见了？真是见鬼了！Wǒ de yàoshi zěnme bùjiàn le? Zhēnshi jiànguǐ le!Where did my keys go? What the heck!
- 浩然 Haoran别急，我帮你一起找找。Bié jí, wǒ bāng nǐ yìqǐ zhǎozhao.Don't worry, I'll help you look for them.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen刚才明明还在桌子上的。Gāngcái míngmíng hái zài zhuōzi shàng de.They were clearly on the table just now.
- 浩然 Haoran真是见鬼，是不是掉进沙发里了？Zhēnshi jiànguǐ, shì bù shì diào jìn shāfā lǐ le?What the heck, did they fall into the sofa?
