怪獣

かいじゅう · kaijuu · JLPT N1 · noun

monster

🦖 怪 (strange) + 獣 (beast) = a strange beast, which means monster

獣 (juu) is the same 'beast' in 野獣 (yajuu, wild beast). Japanese giant-monster films like Godzilla are called 怪獣映画 (kaijuu eiga).

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.'

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