爱哭鬼
ài kū guǐ
The English phrase "cry baby" is translated into Chinese as 爱哭鬼 (ài kū guǐ).
爱哭鬼 refers to a person who cries easily or someone who complains too much about small problems. While it is frequently used in a teasing or lighthearted way among friends or towards children, it can be insulting if used seriously.
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of 爱 (ài, love/fond of), 哭 (kū, to cry) and 鬼 (guǐ, ghost/devil/rascal).
How does it change in a sentence?
The suffix 鬼 (guǐ) is used here to create a noun meaning a person with a specific characteristic that is often negative or used for teasing.
How do you pronounce it?
ài kū guǐ
Did you know?
- Chinese uses the character 爱 (ài), meaning 'love', to indicate that someone has a habit or a strong tendency to do something, even if that action is negative.
- In traditional Chinese culture, the 'ghost' 鬼 (guǐ) is associated with mischief, which is why it is used to describe someone who behaves in an annoying or predictable way.
- There are many other character combinations using 鬼 (guǐ) to label people, such as 懒鬼 (lǎn guǐ) for a lazy person or 笨鬼 (bèn guǐ) for someone clumsy.
Examples in context
- 他真是个爱哭鬼。Tā zhēnshì ge àikūguǐ.He is such a cry baby.
- 别像个爱哭鬼一样。Bié xiàng ge àikūguǐ yīyàng.Don't be such a cry baby.
- 那个小男孩是个爱哭鬼。Nàge xiǎonán hái shì ge àikūguǐ.That little boy is a cry baby.
Example conversation
Two friends are watching a movie in the living room.
- 浩然 Haoran这部电影太感人了。Zhè bù diànyǐng tài gǎnrén le.This movie is so touching.
- 佳怡 Jiayi你又在哭，真是个爱哭鬼。Nǐ yòu zài kū, zhēnshì ge àikūguǐ.You are crying again, you are such a cry baby.
- 浩然 Haoran我没办法控制自己。Wǒ méibànfǎ kòngzhì zìjǐ.I can't help myself.
- 佳怡 Jiayi好吧，我也觉得很感人。Hǎo ba, wǒ yě juéde hěn gǎnrén.Fine, I find it touching too.
