TongTong
Sign in

诡异 (guǐ yì) — (adj.) eerie, uncanny, weird (in a mysterious or unsettling way)

Definition

'Eerie, uncanny' — something feels strange in a way that is unsettling or mysterious, not just unusual. Stronger and more sinister than plain '奇怪' (odd) or 古怪 (peculiar).

adjective
(adj.) eerieuncannyweird (in a mysterious or unsettling way)

Examples

  • 诡异。
    Nà ge diàn yǐng de fēn wéi hěn guǐ yì.
    The atmosphere of that movie is very eerie.
  • 诡异。
    Tā liǎn shàng lù chū yí gè guǐ yì de xiào róng.
    A weird smile appeared on his face.
  • 诡异，。
    Zhè jiàn shì tài guǐ yì le, wǒ dào xiàn zài dōu bù míng bái.
    This matter is too strange and uncanny; I still don't understand it.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

诡guǐstrange
异yìodd

诡 strange + 异 odd together suggest something eerie and uncanny.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 詭; 诡 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánsay
Sound part声符shēngfú
危
危wēi詭guǐ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 詭 pairs 言 (say) with 危 as a sound part; the simplified 诡 is a later abbreviation.

Open 诡 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 異; 异 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 異 depicts a person with a mask 田 over the face, so the face looks different. The simplified 异 is a later shorthand.

Open 异 →
Appears in
Mythology & FolkloreGood & Bad5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.