quái

Sino-Vietnamese word from 怪.

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [kwaːj˧˦]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [kwaːj˨˩˦]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [waːj˦˥]

(classifier con) quái

1. freak; monster

   Synonym: quái vật

quái

1. (informal) strange; odd; weird; bizarre, freakish

   Cái quái gì vậy?

   The hell is that?

   Sao có chuyện quái thế?

   Why is there such a freakish story?

2. mischievous, sly

   nghịch quái ― to play mischievously, to get into mischief

• (strange): lạ, lạ lùng, kỳ cục

quái

1. (emphatic) (not) at all

   Cứ bô bô cái mỏ mà chẳng hiểu quái gì.

   [Someone] keeps running their trap but doesn't understand anything at all.

   Làm quái gì việc vặt ấy.

   Such a trifling thing does not matter at all.

   Quái gì phải lo lắng?

   What in the world do you have to worry about?

quái

1. used to express surprise

   Quái! Nhớ để ở đây mà!

   That's weird! I could've sworn I put it here!

   Quái, hôm qua còn khỏe thế mà hôm nay đã chết!

   How odd, he was so healthy yesterday and to day he is dead!