怪
suspicious · mystery · apparition
Details
Stroke Order
Component Breakdown
heart + 圣
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.
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 →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; supernatural things
奇々怪々
ききかいかい
very strange; bizarre; weird; very strange
妖怪変化
ようかいへんげ
monstrous apparition; terrifying creature; incomprehensible horror; monstrous apparition
複雑怪奇
ふくざつかいき
complicated and mysterious; complicated and mysterious
奇怪千万
きかいせんばん
very strange (mysterious, weird); bizarre; monstrous; very strange (mysterious, weird)
狐狸妖怪
こりようかい
tricksters; deceivers; fey creatures; tricksters
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
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?
Yes. 怪 (suspicious, mystery, apparition) has a clear positive meaning and no embarrassing alternate readings, making it a solid tattoo choice.
Explore by meaning:kanji for suspicious · kanji for mystery · kanji for apparition