tiáo pí
naughty; mischievous
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他很调皮，经常捉弄人。
tā hěn tiáopí, jīngcháng zhuōnòng rén.
He is very naughty and often plays pranks on people.
小孩子都很调皮，喜欢玩耍。
xiǎoháizi dōu hěn tiáopí, xǐhuan wánshuǎ.
Children are all very naughty and like to play.
猫很调皮，喜欢抓老鼠。
māo hěn tiáopí, xǐhuan zhuā lǎoshǔ.
Cats are very naughty and like to catch mice.
听话 (tīnghuà)
obedient
乖巧 (guāiqiǎo)
well-behaved
The Chinese word 调皮 (diào pí) is composed of two characters: 调 (diào) and 皮 (pí). The character 调 originally meant "to harmonize" or "to adjust," but it has also been used to mean "to tease" or "to make fun of." The character 皮 originally meant "skin" or "leather," but it has also been used to mean "mischievous" or "naughty." When these two characters are combined, they create the word 调皮, which means "naughty" or "mischievous." This word is often used to describe children who are playful and energetic, but it can also be used to describe adults who are mischievous or playful.
