乖 guāi obedient
obedient; well-behaved
How to remember 乖: 千 thousand + 北 north = obedient. After being told one thousand times to wear a coat on the trip up north, the little boy is finally obedient.
Component breakdown
乖 = 千 thousand + 北 north
- 千 thousand
- ㇒ falling stroke
- 十 ten
- 北 north
- 匕 spoon
- 匕 spoon
After being told one thousand times to wear a coat on the trip up north, the little boy is finally obedient.
How it is used
- Chiefly 'well-behaved, obedient' - said to children and pets: 真乖 (zhēn guāi) what a good kid, 乖乖听话 (guāiguāi tīnghuà) to behave nicely.
- It's warm and a bit doting; adults calling another adult 乖 is affectionate/flirtatious, not neutral praise.
- A second, older sense is 'contrary/perverse' (乖张, 乖僻) - opposite feel, but rare in daily use.