怪物 (guài wu) — monster (fictional creature or real abnormality…

Definition

怪物 is a 'monster' or 'freak' — use 妖怪 for mythological demons/spirits, and 怪 alone for the adjective sense ('strange, weird').

noun

monster (fictional creature or real abnormality)(figurative) a freakan eccentric person

Measure word · 个

怪物。
Nà ge guài wu cóng shān dòng lǐ chōng le chū lái.
That monster rushed out of the cave.
，怪物。
Tā zǒng zuò qí guài de shì, dà jiā dōu jué de tā shì gè guài wu.
He always does strange things; everyone thinks he's a freak.
怪物。
Zhè bù diàn yǐng lǐ de guài wu cháng zhe sān zhī yǎn jing.
The monster in this movie has three eyes.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

怪 (strange) and 物 (thing) together describe a strange being, a monster or freak.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

忄圣怪

Meaning part形符xíngfú

忄Written in full as心xīn

Sound part声符shēngfú

圣

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

怪 is built from 忄, a form of 心, which relates to mind or feeling, and 圣, which gives the sound.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

牛勿物

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

勿

Same sound today

物 puts 牛 beside 勿: 牛 gives the meaning, and 勿 gives the sound.

Appears in