怪獣

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 怪獣 (かいじゅう) combines strange 怪 and beast 獣 to denote a monster, often a giant fictional creature.
• Basic usage: It refers to a movie creature among buildings or a horned figure made from clay.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• A fictional monster rather than wildlife
  • 怪獣 usually suggests an extraordinary invented beast, not an ordinary animal encountered in nature.