怪不得
HSK 5- Other
Structure (结构 jiégòu)
Meaning (意思 yìsi)
怪不得 expresses the moment of realization when one understands the cause of something, equivalent to "no wonder" or "that's why" in English.
Explanation (解释 jiěshì)
You use 怪不得 when you suddenly understand the reason for something that previously seemed puzzling. It is like exclaiming "No wonder!" or "That explains it!" This structure typically appears at the beginning of a sentence, followed by your conclusion or realization after learning some new piece of information.
Examples (例句 lìjù)(5)
- 他感冒了，怪不得今天没来上班。繁: 他感冒了，怪不得今天沒來上班。Tā gǎnmào le, guàibude jīntiān méi lái shàngbān.
He caught a cold, no wonder he didn't come to work today.
- 原来他们是兄妹，怪不得长得像。繁: 原來他們是兄妹，怪不得長得像。Yuánlái tāmen shì xiōngmèi, guàibude zhǎng de xiàng.
So it turns out they are siblings, no wonder they look alike.
- 外面在下大雨，怪不得这么冷。繁: 外面在下大雨，怪不得這麼冷。Wàimiàn zài xià dàyǔ, guàibude zhème lěng.
It's raining heavily outside, no wonder it's so cold.
- 他刚跑完步，怪不得那么累。繁: 他剛跑完步，怪不得那麼累。Tā gāng pǎo wán bù, guàibude nàme lèi.
He just finished running, so it's no wonder he's so tired.
- 这件衣服打折，怪不得这么便宜。繁: 這件衣服打折，怪不得這麼便宜。Zhè jiàn yīfu dǎzhé, guàibude zhème piányi.
This shirt is on sale, no wonder it's so cheap.
Common mistakes
- Wrong:这件事都怪不得你。Correct:这件事都怪你。
怪不得 means "no wonder" or "that explains it," not "blame you." To blame someone, use 都怪你.
- Wrong:怪不得他没来吗？Correct:他为什么没来？
怪不得 is used to affirm a sudden realization and should not be used in questions; use a standard question form to ask about causes.