Definition

1. Noun:
   • Freak, monster: An imaginary creature with a terrifying form, often considered harmful to people.
2. Adjective:
   • Strange, odd, bizarre: Describes something unusual or peculiar.
   • Mischievous, cunning: Describes someone who is sly, crafty, or playfully naughty.
3. Particle:
   • [Not] at all: A word used to emphasize negation, often in a vulgar or strong sense.
4. Interjection:
   • Expressing surprise: A word used to express astonishment or disbelief.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Trong truyện cổ tích thường có nhiều yêu quái. (Fairy tales often have many monsters.)
• Adjective (Strange):
  • Sao có chuyện quái thế? (Why is there such a strange/freakish story?)
• Adjective (Mischievous):
  • Đứa trẻ đó rất quái, luôn nghĩ ra trò tinh nghịch. (That child is very mischievous, always thinking up pranks.)
• Particle:
  • Tôi chẳng hiểu quái gì cả. (I don't understand anything at all.)
  • Làm quái gì việc vặt ấy. (Such a trifling thing does not matter at all / Why bother with such a trivial thing.)
• Interjection:
  • Quái! Hôm qua còn khỏe thế mà. (How odd! He was so healthy yesterday.)

Advanced Usage

• "Quái lạ": Very strange, weird. This is a common compound emphasizing oddity.
  • Sự việc này thật quái lạ. (This incident is really weird.)
• "Nghịch quái": To play mischievously, to get into mischief.
  • Bọn trẻ đang nghịch quái ở sau vườn. (The kids are playing mischievously in the backyard.)
• "Quái thai" (noun): Monster fetus; often used metaphorically for an abnormal or monstrous creation.
  • Ý tưởng đó là một quái thai của trí tưởng tượng. (That idea is a monstrous creation of the imagination.) (Note: This is a compound word listed under variants.)
• "Quái đản" (adjective): Grotesque, bizarre, freakish.
  • Bộ trang phục trông thật quái đản. (The costume looks truly grotesque.) (Note: This is a compound word listed under variants.)

Variants and Related Words

• Quái vật (noun): Monster, creature. A more common term for "monster".
  • Hồ Loch Ness nổi tiếng với truyền thuyết về quái vật. (Loch Ness is famous for its monster legend.)
• Quái dị (adjective): Freakish, abnormal.
  • Hiện tượng quái dị. (A freakish phenomenon.)
• Quái thai (noun): See "Advanced Usage".
• Quái đản (adjective): See "Advanced Usage".
• Quái gở (adjective): Unlucky, ominous; strange and unsettling.
  • Điềm báo quái gở. (An ominous sign.)
• Tinh quái (adjective): Cunning, sly, crafty.
  • Con cáo rất tinh quái. (The fox is very cunning.)

Synonyms

• Kỳ lạ, lạ lùng (adj): Strange, peculiar.
• Tinh nghịch, ranh mãnh (adj): Mischievous, sly.
• Yêu quái, quỷ (n): Demon, fiend (for "monster").
• Chẳng...gì cả (phr): Not...anything at all (for the negating particle).

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

Note: As "quái" is not a verb, it does not form phrasal verbs. Its usage in phrases is idiomatic or as part of fixed expressions.

Related Idioms

• "Chẳng biết quái gì": To know nothing at all.
  • Về chủ đề này, tôi chẳng biết quái gì. (Regarding this topic, I know nothing at all.)
• "Làm quái gì (cái việc)...": Used to dismiss an action as pointless or trivial. (Why bother doing...)
  • Làm quái gì cái việc nhỏ nhặt ấy. (Why bother with such a trivial thing.)
• "Quái cổ" (archaic/regional): To turn one's head back, to look back.
  • Nó quái cổ lại nhìn. (He turned his head back to look.)

1. Freak, monster
2. Freak, freakish
   • Sao có chuyện quái thế?
     Why is there such a freakish story?
3. Mischievous
   • Nghịch quái
     To play mischievously, to get into mischief
4. [Not] at all
   • Chẳng hiểu quái gì
     To understand nothing at all
   • Làm quái gì việc vặt ấy
     Such a trifling thing does not matter at all
5. How strange, how unusual, how odd
   • Quái, hôm qua còn khỏe thế mà hôm nay đã chết!
     How odd, he was so healthy yesterday and to day he is dead!