怪话 (guài huà) — cynical remark; complaint (often veiled or sarcastic)

Definition

A sarcastic or cynical remark — criticism phrased indirectly rather than as an open complaint. Often implies passive-aggressive griping behind someone's back.

noun
cynical remarkcomplaint (often veiled or sarcastic)

Examples

  • 怪话，。
    Tā zǒng ài shuō guài huà, ràng rén tīng le hěn bù shū fu.
    He always makes cynical remarks, which makes people uncomfortable.
  • 怪话，。
    Bié zài bèi hòu shuō guài huà, yǒu yì jiàn kě yǐ dāng miàn tí.
    Don't make complaints behind people's backs — if you have an opinion, you can raise it face to face.
  • ，怪话。
    Huì yì shàng méi rén fǎn duì, dàn huì hòu guài huà bù shǎo.
    No one objected during the meeting, but there were plenty of cynical remarks afterward.

Origin

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guàistrange
话huàwords

怪 gives strange or odd and 话 gives words, meaning odd or sarcastic remarks.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
忄Written in full as心xīn
Sound part声符shēngfú
圣
圣shèng怪guài
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.

Open 怪 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 話; 话 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánword
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠯑
𠯑𠯑話huà
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 話, 言 relates to words and 𠯑 gives the sound; the simplified 话 is a shorthand, so its right side is not that sound part.

Open 话 →

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