📖 Meaning
Extremely unusual, bizarre, and rarely seen. It describes things or events that are so strange and extraordinary that they defy common expectation. Often used to characterize inexplicable or fantastical situations.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase comes from a letter by Su Manshu (苏曼殊), a late Qing dynasty poet and writer, titled 'To Liu San' (《与刘三书》). Su Manshu wrote that his recent experiences had been '离奇古怪'—so bizarre and extraordinary that they were hard to describe in writing. He said he would discuss everything in detail when an elder returned to Shanghai that winter. Su Manshu was known for his unconventional life, and the phrase captured the strangeness of his circumstances.
💡 Example Usage
这桩案子的发展离奇古怪，连老侦探都感到不可思议。
The developments in this case were so bizarre that even the veteran detective found it incredible.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 离奇古怪
- Pinyin: lí qí gǔ guài
- Literal Translation: leave, strange, ancient, bizarre
- Category: Quality
- Characters: 4