No wonder in Chinese – nánguài & guàibude

Grammar point:
Both 難难怪 nánguài and 怪不得 guàibùdébude mean “no wonder” or “it’s no surprise.” It is used to express realization or understanding of why something happens, often after discovering new information or reasoning behind it. It can also convey agreement with a logical conclusion.

Structure

難难怪 nánguài + Observation + 原來来 yuánlái (是 shì) + The fact you just realized

Used when something becomes clear or makes sense after gaining information.

難怪nánguài弟弟dìdi哭kū得de那麼nàme慘cǎn，，原來yuánlái他tā的de小xiǎo狗gǒu走失zǒushī了le难怪nánguài弟弟dìdi哭kū得de那么nàme惨cǎn，，原来yuánlái他tā的de小xiǎo狗gǒu走失zǒushī了le
No wonder my brother was crying so hard. His puppy was lost.

難怪nánguài你nǐ中文zhōngwén說shuō得de這麼zhème好hǎo， 原來yuánlái你nǐ媽媽māma是shì台灣人Táiwānrén难怪nánguài你nǐ中文zhōngwén说shuō得de这么zhème好hǎo， 原来yuánlái你nǐ妈妈māma是shì台湾人Táiwānrén
No wonder you speak Chinese so well, it turns out your mother is Taiwanese.

難怪nánguài他tā今天jīntiān沒méi來lái， 原來yuánlái他tā生病shēngbìng了le难怪nánguài他tā今天jīntiān没méi来lái， 原来yuánlái他tā生病shēngbìng了le
No wonder he didn’t come today; turns out he’s sick.

難怪nánguài爸爸bàba沒méi去qù爬山páshān， 原來yuánlái下xià大dà雨yǔ了le难怪nánguài爸爸bàba没méi去qù爬山páshān， 原来yuánlái下xià大dà雨yǔ了le
No wonder dad didn’t go hiking. It was raining heavily.

Reason + 難难怪 nánguài + Observation Fact

Expresses that the speaker now understands a situation.

這個zhège蛋糕dàngāo這麼zhème好吃hǎochī， 難怪nánguài那麼nàme多duō人rén排隊páiduì買mǎi这个zhège蛋糕dàngāo这么zhème好吃hǎochī， 难怪nánguài那么nàme多duō人rén排队páiduì买mǎi
This cake is so delicious; no wonder so many people are lining up for it.

這zhè道dào題tí非常fēicháng難nán， 難怪nánguài他tā一時yìshí答dá不bù出來chūlái这zhè道dào题tí非常fēicháng难nán， 难怪nánguài他tā一时yìshí答dá不bù出来chūlái
This question is very difficult, no wonder he couldn’t answer it for a while.

他tā是shì加拿大jiānádà人rén難怪nánguài他tā不bú怕pà冷lěng他tā是shì加拿大jiānádà人rén难怪nánguài他tā不bú怕pà冷lěng
He’s Canadian, no wonder he doesn’t feel cold.

聽說tīngshuō他tā中zhòng樂透lètòu了le， 難怪nánguài他tā最近zuìjìn又yòu是shì搬家bānjiā又yòu是shì買mǎi車chē听说tīngshuō他tā中zhòng乐透lètòu了le， 难怪nánguài他tā最近zuìjìn又yòu是shì搬家bānjiā又yòu是shì买mǎi车chē
I heard that he won the lottery, no wonder he changed his house and bought himself a new car recently.

You can always change the 難难怪 nánguài to 怪不得 guàibùdébude without changing any meaning. The only difference is 怪不得 guàibùdébude is a more casual speaking form.

這zhè小姐xiǎojiě人rén美měi心xīn又yòu好hǎo， 怪不得guàibùdé這麼zhème多duō男孩子nánháizi喜歡xǐhuān她tā这zhè姑娘gūniáng人rén美měi心xīn又yòu好hǎo， 怪不得guàibude这么zhème多duō男孩子nánháizi喜欢xǐhuan她tā
This girl is beautiful and nice, no wonder so many boys like her.

下禮拜xiàlǐbài要yào考試kǎoshì了le， 怪不得guàibùdé他tā這幾天zhèjǐtiān都dōu熬夜áoyè讀書dúshū下礼拜xiàlǐbài要yào考试kǎoshì了le， 怪不得guàibude他tā这几天zhèjītiān都dōu熬夜áoyè读书dúshū
Next week is the exam, no wonder he has stayed up late these days to study.

他tā天天tiāntiān去qù健身房jiànshēnfáng， 怪不得guàibùdé身材shēncái那麼nàme好hǎo他tā天天tiāntiān去qù健身房jiànshēnfáng， 怪不得guàibude身材shēncái那么nàme好hǎo
He goes to the gym every day; no wonder he’s in such great shape.

難难怪 nánguài In the Conversation

In daily conversation, you can drop everything and just simply reply 難难怪 nánguài or 怪不得 guàibùdébude.

A: 我wǒ肚子dùzi好hǎo餓è我wǒ肚子dùzi好hǎo饿è
I’m so hungry.

B: 因為yīnwèi現在xiànzài已經yǐjīng下午xiàwǔ兩點liǎngdiǎn了le因为yīnwèi现在xiànzài已经yǐjīng下午xiàwǔ两点liǎngdiǎn了le
Because it’s already 2:00 p.m.

A: 難怪nánguài难怪nánguài
No wonder.

Common Confusion

難难怪 nánguài can also be 難难 nán + 怪 guài, which means hard to + blame. In this case, the meaning is totally different from “no wonder.”

這zhè很hěn難nán怪guài機場jīchǎng， 突然間tūránjiān的de大dà霧wù讓ràng所有suǒyǒu飛機fēijī都dōu得děi暫停zhàntíng起飛qǐfēi这zhè很hěn难nán怪guài机场jīchǎng， 突然间tūránjiān的de大dà雾wù让ràng所有suǒyǒu飞机fēijī都dōu得děi暂停zàntíng起飞qǐfēi
It’s hard to blame the airport, the sudden fog made all the planes have to suspend takeoff.

這zhè也yě難nán怪guài他tā， 沒有人méiyǒurén知道zhīdào今天jīntiān會huì發生fāshēng這zhè種zhǒng事shì这zhè也yě难nán怪guài他tā， 没有人méiyǒurén知道zhīdào今天jīntiān会huì发生fāshēng这zhè种zhǒng事shì
It’s hard to blame him, no one knew this would happen today.

Express “I Wonder” in Chinese

難难怪 nánguài means “no wonder” and is used when you understand or realize why something happens. It’s not the same as saying “I wonder,” which expresses curiosity or uncertainty. In Chinese, if you want to say “I wonder,” you should use words like 不知道 bù zhīdào or 好奇 hàoqí instead.

不知道bùzhīdào他tā現在xiànzài在zài哪裡nǎlǐ不知道bùzhīdào他tā现在xiànzài在zài哪里nǎlǐ
I wonder where he is now.

我wǒ很hěn好奇hàoqí這zhè道dào菜cài是shì怎麼zěnme做zuò的de我wǒ很hěn好奇hàoqí这zhè道dào菜cài是shì怎么zěnme做zuò的de
I wonder how this dish is made.