Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| espiègle | /ɛs.pjɛɡl/ |
| coquin | /kɔ.kɛ̃/ |
| malicieux | |
| malin | /ma.lɛ̃/ |
Use espiègle for a lighthearted, playful kind of mischief, often used for children or animals. Use malicieux when the mischief ranges from playful to a more calculated or slightly more biting sense of malice than espiègle. Use malin when you want to emphasize that someone is being clever, shrewd or cunning rather than just being naughty. coquin is a more colloquial and affectionate way to call someone a 'rascal' or 'naughty' person.
Which one should you use?
In contrast, malicieux can range from playful mischief to a more calculated or slightly more biting sense of malice than espiègle. malin emphasizes being clever, shrewd or cunning rather than just being naughty.
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine form of malicieux is malicieuse.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of espiègle is /ɛs.pjɛɡl/. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- The word espiègle is actually a linguistic traveler from Germany. It is borrowed from the name of a legendary trickster figure, Till Eulenspiegel.
- While coquin usually means 'naughty' or 'rascal', in modern romantic contexts it is often used to describe someone who is 'flirty' or 'cheeky'.
- In French, calling a child coquin is often a term of endearment, whereas calling them malin suggests they are trying to outsmart the adults.
Examples in context
- Le chat de Yanni à l'air espiègle.Yanni's cat looks mischievous.This sentence shows how to describe the appearance of a cat using espiègle.Tatoeba #12667126 by Olcyx, translation #9150510 by Amastan
- Le garçon arborait un petit sourire espiègle.The boy had a mischievous smirk on his face.This sentence illustrates the use of espiègle to describe a smile.Tatoeba #3422727 by sacredceltic, translation #3380370 by patgfisher
- Garde un œil sur les garçons, ils sont espiègles.Keep an eye on the boys. They're mischievous.This sentence demonstrates how to use the plural form of espiègle when referring to boys.Tatoeba #7307 by sak_sm, translation #268070 by CM
- Malgré son apparence innocente, cet enfant est un véritable farceur.Despite his innocent appearance, this child is a real prankster.
- Ce sacré coquin a encore joué un tour à ses camarades de classe.That little rascal played a prank on his classmates again.
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Léa are talking about their nephew.
- HugoRegarde cette photo, il est vraiment espiègle !Look at this photo, he is really mischievous!
- LéaC'est vrai, il adore faire des blagues.That's true, he loves playing jokes.
- HugoIl a toujours ce regard espiègle.He always has that mischievous look.
- LéaC'est pour ça qu'on l'aime tant.That's why we love him so much.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mischievous” translations and entries espiègle, coquin, malicieux, malin, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries coquin, espiègle, malicieux, malin, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
