gwai2 ji6詭異诡异
Jyutpinggwai2 ji6
Yalegwái yih
Definition
Abnormal, strange, or eerie.
neutraldescriptionsemotion
How it's used
This word carries a stronger, more unsettling nuance than the common 奇怪. It is often used to describe something that feels supernatural, sinister, or inexplicably off-putting rather than just unusual. You will frequently hear it in contexts involving horror movies, mysterious occurrences, or people acting in a way that makes others feel deeply uncomfortable.
Examples
He looks so strange, I have no idea what he is thinking.
The atmosphere inside the house is very eerie, let's leave quickly.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe simple surprises or minor oddities, as it implies a sense of dread or creepiness. Using it for a mundane situation, like a friend wearing mismatched socks, would sound overly dramatic or confusing to a native speaker.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
