Meaning of 顽皮
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- naughty
How to use 顽皮
顽皮 describes playful, mischievous behavior, usually of children, pets, or someone acting like a kid. It is mildly critical but often affectionate. Example: 这只小猫很顽皮。(Zhè zhī xiǎo māo hěn wánpí.) This kitten is very naughty.
顽 (wán) means stubborn, as in 顽强 (wánqiáng), and 皮 (pí) is skin, as in 皮肤 (pífū). Picture a stubborn kid with thick skin who ignores every scolding. That kid is 顽皮.
Common mistake: Learners often write 顽 as 玩 (wán, to play) because they sound the same and the meaning feels related. The correct character has 页 on the right, not 王 on the left. Also keep the tone on 皮 as second tone (pí), not first.
顽皮 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
顽 wán · stubborn · 10 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
皮 pí · skin · 5 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Related words
Words that share a character with 顽皮.
| 皮包 | píbāo | handbag; briefcase |
| 调皮 | tiáopí | naughty; mischievous |
| 皮肤 | pífū | skin |
| 皮鞋 | píxié | leather shoes |
| 顽强 | wánqiáng | tenacious; hard to defeat |
| 皮球 | píqiú | ball (made of rubber, leather etc) |
| 顽固 | wángù | stubborn; obstinate |
| 皮带 | pídài | strap; leather belt |
| 橡皮 | xiàngpí | rubber; an eraser |
| 皮条客 | pítiáokè | pimp |
| 皮夹 | píjiā | wallet; Taiwan pr. [pi2 jia2] |
| 皮革 | pígé | leather |
Questions about 顽皮
What does 顽皮 mean?
顽皮 (wánpí) means "naughty" and is used as a adjective.
How do you write 顽皮?
顽皮 is made of 2 characters: 顽 (10 strokes), 皮 (5 strokes). That is 15 strokes in total.
Is 顽皮 an HSK word?
Yes. 顽皮 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 顽皮 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 顽皮 is written 頑皮.
What is the difference between 顽皮 and 调皮?
They mean nearly the same thing and are often interchangeable. 调皮 (tiáopí) is more common in everyday speech, while 顽皮 sounds slightly more written or literary.
Can 顽皮 be used to describe adults?
Yes, but it suggests the adult is acting playful or childlike, often in a teasing, affectionate way. For serious bad behavior by adults, Chinese uses other words instead.