Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Very strange, very odd: Used to describe something that is extremely unusual, peculiar, or difficult to understand, often causing surprise or disbelief.
   • How strange: Used as an exclamation to express strong surprise, wonder, or confusion about an unexpected situation.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Cái máy tính này quái lạ thật, tự nhiên tắt rồi lại mở. (This computer is very strange; it turns off and then on by itself.)
  • Quái lạ, hôm qua tôi còn để chìa khóa ở đây. (How strange, I left my keys right here yesterday.)
  • Bệnh tình của anh ấy quái lạ, không bác sĩ nào chẩn đoán ra. (His illness is very odd; no doctor can diagnose it.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used at the beginning of a sentence as an interjection to immediately convey the speaker's shock or puzzlement before stating the surprising fact.
  • Quái lạ! Cửa hàng luôn mở cửa lúc này mà hôm nay lại đóng. (How strange! The shop is always open at this time, but today it's closed.)

Variants and Related Words

• Lạ (adj): Strange, unfamiliar. A more neutral and common term for "strange."
• Kỳ lạ (adj): Strange, bizarre. Similar to "quái lạ" but may sound slightly less colloquial.
• Quái (adj/n): Can mean "monster" or, as an adjective, "weird," "odd." It intensifies the meaning of "lạ" in the compound "quái lạ."

Synonyms

• Very strange: Extremely unusual or odd.
• Bizarre: Strikingly unconventional and far-fetched.
• Peculiar: Strange or unusual, often in an interesting way.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Chuyện quái lạ: A very strange story or event.
  • Đó là một chuyện quái lạ nhất tôi từng nghe. (That is the strangest story I have ever heard.)
• Quái gì thế?: A more informal and blunt exclamation meaning "What the heck?" or "What's so strange about that?" expressing annoyance or strong curiosity.

1. Very strange, very ođ
2. How strange
   • Quái lạ, mới cúm đó mà đã chết
     How strange, to have died just after catching