奇怪
qíguài · HSK 3
wonder
❓ 奇怪 = strange (奇) + odd (怪); together means weird or wonder
奇 means rare or strange, and 怪 means odd or peculiar. Combined, 奇怪 describes something puzzling, weird, or wondrous. The English gloss wonder here leans toward the sense of finding something curiously strange.
怪 — heart radical 忄 + 圣 (phonetic)
怪 combines the heart radical 忄, suggesting feelings or mental states, with 圣 serving as a phonetic component. The original sense relates to something strange or uncanny that provokes wonder or unease in the heart. It now broadly means 'strange,' 'odd,' or 'to blame.'