怪
suspicious · mystery · apparition
Details
Stroke Order
Cultural Context
Etymology
Composed of heart and phonetic. Heart wondering.
Symbolism
Monster, strange, mystery. Represents inexplicable things.
Spiritual Meaning
Inexplicable mysterious phenomena. Fear of "strange occurrences" shows a spirituality humble before powers beyond human understanding.
Component Breakdown
heart + 圣
Words & Expressions
Four-Character Compounds
怪力乱神
かいりょくらんしん
supernatural things; unnatural phenomena; spirits and demons
奇々怪々
ききかいかい
very strange; bizarre; weird
妖怪変化
ようかいへんげ
monstrous apparition; terrifying creature; incomprehensible horror
複雑怪奇
ふくざつかいき
complicated and mysterious
奇怪千万
きかいせんばん
very strange (mysterious, weird); bizarre; monstrous
狐狸妖怪
こりようかい
tricksters; deceivers; fey creatures
Proverbs & Idioms
怪我の功名
けがのこうみょう
A lucky break from misfortune
When an accident or mistake leads to unexpected success
Anime & Manga
怪獣８号
Kaiju No. 8
A well-known work with 怪 in its Japanese title.
となりの怪物くん
My Little Monster
A well-known work with 怪 in its Japanese title.
怪物事変
Kemono Jihen
A well-known work with 怪 in its Japanese title.
モノノ怪
Mononoke
A well-known work with 怪 in its Japanese title.
学校の怪談
Ghost Stories
A well-known work with 怪 in its Japanese title.
Games
妖怪ウォッチ
Yo-kai Watch(2013)
Developer: Level-5
Collection RPG featuring 'yōkai.' Modern interpretation of Japanese supernatural folklore.
View on Amazon →Other kanji with the same meaning
“suspicious”
“mystery”
“apparition”
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 怪 mean in Japanese?
怪 means suspicious, mystery, apparition.
How do you read 怪?
On'yomi: カイ、ケ (KAI, KE). Kun'yomi: あや.しい、あや.しむ (ayashii, ayashimu).
How many strokes does 怪 have?
怪 has 8 strokes. Its radical is 心 (heart).
Is 怪 a good kanji for a tattoo?
怪 is one of the kanji most often chosen for tattoos. It means suspicious, mystery, apparition. Read the full meaning and cultural background on this page first — some popular choices are deliberately dark.
Explore by meaning:suspicious · mystery · apparition