# 咄咄怪事

duō duō guài shì

An astonishingly strange or unreasonable occurrence

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** A strange affair that makes one exclaim

**Register:** Formal · literary

[Perspective](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/topics/perspective)

## When to use it

Express indignant surprise at an anomaly.

Literary and emphatic.

## Understanding the expression

The repeated exclamation signals surprise that something could happen at all. The expression labels an occurrence as extraordinarily strange, often because it violates fairness, common sense, or expectations. Its tone may be indignant rather than merely curious. Explaining the specific anomaly helps listeners understand the reaction. An event unfamiliar to one person is not automatically unreasonable; the phrase works best when the contrast with an established rule or expectation is clear.

## Examples

没参赛却获奖，真是咄咄怪事。

### Traditional Chinese

沒參賽卻獲獎，真是咄咄怪事。

méi cān sài què huò jiǎng ， zhēn shì duō duō guài shì 。

Winning without entering is an astonishingly strange occurrence.

修好后反而不能用了，咄咄怪事。

### Traditional Chinese

修好後反而不能用了，咄咄怪事。

xiū hǎo hòu fǎn ér bù néng yòng le ， duō duō guài shì 。

It stopped working after being repaired—an extraordinary anomaly.

同一张票收费两次，真是咄咄怪事。

### Traditional Chinese

同一張票收費兩次，真是咄咄怪事。

tóng yì zhāng piào shōu fèi liǎng cì ， zhēn shì duō duō guài shì 。

Charging twice for the same ticket is astonishingly unreasonable.

合格者被拒，作弊者入选，堪称咄咄怪事。

### Traditional Chinese

合格者被拒，作弊者入選，堪稱咄咄怪事。

hé gé zhě bèi jù ， zuò bì zhě rù xuǎn ， kān chēng duō duō guài shì 。

Rejecting qualified applicants while selecting cheaters is an extraordinary outrage.

## Sources & reference checks

Original explanations and examples from Chinese Idioms Almanac. Source-checked October 6, 2026.

- [CC-CEDICT · forms & pronunciation](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdqb=%E5%92%84%E5%92%84%E6%80%AA%E4%BA%8B)

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=946&webMd=1&la=0)

## Keep exploring

- [发人深省 fā rén shēn xǐng Prompt careful and substantial reflection ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/fa-ren-shen-xing)

- [非驴非马 fēi lǘ fēi mǎ Be an incoherent mixture of types ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/fei-lv-fei-ma)

- [愤世嫉俗 fèn shì jí sú Feel bitterly hostile toward society and convention ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/fen-shi-ji-su)

- [风吹草动 fēng chuī cǎo dòng The slightest sign of disturbance ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/feng-chui-cao-dong)

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