作怪

zuòguài

verb #17,660

Meanings

1 to make mischief; to act up
2 (of a ghost) to cause strange happenings
3 to act behind the scenes

Characters

strange; monster

Examples

肯定是有人在背后作怪。

Kěndìng shì yǒu rén zài bèihòu zuòguài.

Someone must be making mischief behind the scenes.

我的电脑又在作怪了，打不开文件。

Wǒ de diànnǎo yòu zài zuòguài le, dǎ bù kāi wénjiàn.

My computer is acting up again, it can't open files.

Tips

usage

作怪 originally meant ghosts or demons causing trouble. In modern use, it commonly describes things malfunctioning (天气作怪, 身体作怪) or people scheming behind the scenes.

Stroke Order

作 zuò

怪 guài