淘气

táo qì

HSK 2.0 Level 6 HSK 3.0 Level 6 Adjective Uncommon

Definitions

1. naughty
2. mischievous

Word relationships

Antonyms

2 items

• 乖巧 guāi qiǎo 乖巧 guāi qiǎo clever (child) Well-behaved, opposite of naughty.: clever (child)
• 听话 tīng huà 听话 tīng huà obedient Obedient, opposite of mischievous.: obedient

Synonyms

2 items

• 调皮 tiáo pí 调皮 tiáo pí naughty Both describe playful misbehavior, often for children.: naughty
• 顽皮 wán pí 顽皮 wán pí naughty Near-synonym for naughty, slightly more formal.: naughty

Usage notes

Common mistakes

Do not confuse 淘气 (naughty) with 生气 (angry); they sound similar but differ in tone and meaning.

Formality

淘气 is informal and typically used for children's behavior; avoid using it for adults or serious contexts.

Example Sentences

1 shown

这个小男孩很 淘气 。

This little boy is very naughty.

AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Words Containing 淘气

• 小淘气 小淘气 xiǎo táo qì: Rogue, Marvel Comics superhero

Child Words of 淘气

• 气 气 qì: gas; air
• 淘 淘 táo: to wash