乖 (guāi) - well-behaved, obedient, clever, perverse, contrary to reason

乖Tone 1

guāi ｜ 8 strokes ｜ radical: 丿

枫惠

乖 · guāi

well-behaved, obedient, clever, perverse, contrary to reason

well-behaved, obedient, clever, perverse, contrary to reason

Usage highlights

wellobedient childbe goodcontrary to reasonperverseclever and sensible

Synonyms

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The child is very obedient (孩子很乖).
  • Be good and listen to your mother (乖乖听妈妈的话).
  • He is a clever child (他是个乖孩子).
  • That's contrary to reason (那太乖谬了).

Collocations

  • well-behaved(乖巧)
  • obedient child(乖孩子)
  • be good(乖乖)
  • contrary to reason(乖谬)
  • perverse(乖戾)
  • clever and sensible(乖觉)

Idioms

  • Out of tune and inharmonious(乖唇蜜舌)
  • Perverse and unreasonable(乖僻邪谬)
  • Acting contrary to reason(时乖命蹇)
  • Clever and quick-witted(乖嘴蜜舌)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally meant 'perverse, contrary' in classical Chinese, but evolved to mean 'obedient, well-behaved' in modern usage.
  • Commonly used to praise children for good behavior in contemporary Chinese culture.
  • The character's structure combines 'thousand' (千) and 'north' (北), suggesting divergence from the norm.

FAQ