奇怪 (qíguài) · strange

奇怪 (qíguài) means “strange; odd; to wonder”. It is written with 2 characters: 奇 (strange) + 怪 (strange). It is an HSK 3 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).

How 奇怪 is built

The characters

奇 qí · strange

What 奇 is made of

大dà — big
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 人rén — person
可kě — may
- 丁dīng — male adult
- 口kǒu — mouth
  - 冂 — frame
  - 一 — horizontal stroke

Origin hint: A person 大 riding a horse 可 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)

怪 guài · strange

What 怪 is made of

忄xīn — heart
- 八bā — eight
- 丨 — vertical stroke
圣shèng — holy
- 又yòu — and
- 土tǔ — earth
  - 十 — ten
  - 一 — horizontal stroke

Example sentences

真奇怪，他怎么还没来？Zhēn qíguài, tā zěnme hái méi lái?How strange, why hasn't he come yet?

我听到了一个奇怪的声音。Wǒ tīng dào le yī ge qíguài de shēngyīn.I heard a strange sound.

Questions about 奇怪

What does 奇怪 mean?

奇怪 (qíguài) means “strange; odd; to wonder”.

How do you pronounce 奇怪?

奇怪 is pronounced qíguài.

Which HSK level is 奇怪?

奇怪 is in HSK 3 (exam 2025) and HSK 3 (2021) and Old HSK 3.

Related words

Learn 奇怪 with its group

It is part of HSK 3 (2021) · Group 58: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.

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