niño travieso
/niɲo tɾabjeso/from spelling rules
The Spanish phrase for "bad kid" is niño travieso.
This phrase describes a child who is naughty or behaves in a playful but mischievous way.
Which one should you use?
While niño travieso implies playful mischief, niño malo implies a child with a bad character or one who is truly wicked.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, the expression chavo/a malo/a is used to describe a bad kid.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase changes to the feminine gender if the child is a girl, such as niña traviesa. The adjective travieso/a must always agree in gender with the noun it modifies. To make the phrase plural, add -s to both the noun and the adjective, resulting in niños traviesos.
How do you pronounce it?
/niɲo tɾabjeso/
Did you know?
- The noun niño might not come from a formal Latin root, but instead mimics the actual babbling sounds of an infant, similar to how English uses 'nanny' or 'nana'.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, calling a child travieso is often seen as an affectionate observation of their spirit rather than a genuine scolding.
Examples in context
- La profesora llamó a los padres del niño indisciplinado.The teacher called the parents of the undisciplined child.
- El niño malcriado siempre grita cuando no consigue lo que quiere.The spoiled child always shouts when he doesn't get what he wants.
- Aquel niño revoltoso no deja que los demás jueguen tranquilos.That rowdy child doesn't let others play peacefully.
- El niño problemático fue expulsado de la escuela por su mal comportamiento.The problematic child was expelled from school due to his misbehavior.
- ¡Ese chavo malo no para de pelearse con los demás niños del vecindario!That bad kid keeps picking fights with the other neighborhood children!
- Los vecinos están cansados del niño gamberro que siempre rompe las ventanas del edificio.The neighbors are tired of the naughty child who always breaks the building's windows.
- Ese es un niño travieso.That is a bad kid.
- Mi sobrino es un niño travieso.My nephew is a bad kid.
- ¡No seas un niño travieso!Don't be a bad kid!
Example conversation
Mateo and Sofia are talking about their young cousin.
- MateoMira lo que hizo el niño travieso.Look at what the naughty boy did.
- Sofía¡No puedo creer que pintó la pared!I can't believe he painted the wall!
- MateoÉl siempre es un niño travieso.He is always a mischievous kid.
- SofíaSí, pero es muy divertido.Yes, but he is very funny.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries niño, travieso, CC BY-SA 4.0.
