travieso
/tɾaˈbjeso/
The English adjective 'mischievous' is translated into Spanish as travieso.
travieso is most commonly used to describe children who are being playful or naughty in a non-malicious way. Other words can express different shades of mischief: pícaro/pícara describes someone who is sly, roguish or mischievous in a playful way. juguetón/juguetona means 'playful' and can carry a slight connotation of being mischievous. inquieto/a is used for someone who is restless, lively or mischievous in a more mild sense. pillo/a is a common term in Spain for someone who is witty, crafty or sly. And malandrín/malandrina is a lighthearted way to describe someone who is a bit of a rascal or troublemaker.
Meaning: naughty (adj)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, pillo/a is commonly used to refer to someone who tends to be witty, crafty or sly.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the adjective must change to agree with the noun it describes: use traviesa for a feminine singular noun, traviesos for a masculine plural noun and traviesas for a feminine plural noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/tɾaˈbjeso/
Did you know?
- The word travieso actually shares its roots with the English word 'transverse', meaning something that crosses or lies across.
- The word pícaro gave birth to the 'picaresque' novel, a famous literary genre starting in Spain that features a roguish protagonist surviving by their wits.
- While travieso implies a child's playful naughtiness, calling an adult travieso can sound patronizing, as if you are treating them like a small child.
Examples in context
- Tom es un niño bastante travieso.Tom is quite a mischievous child.This sentence shows how to use travieso to describe a child.Tatoeba #1224605 by marcelostockle, translation #1224570 by CK
- Ese chico no es tan travieso como pensábamos que sería.That boy isn't as mischievous as we thought he would be.This sentence uses travieso to make a comparison regarding a boy's behavior.Tatoeba #506745 by Shishir, translation #409483 by CK
- Siempre hay esperanza para chicos con corazones como los vuestros, a pesar de que ellos, a menudo, pueden ser muy traviesos. Esta es la razón por la que he llegado tan lejos en busca vuestra.There is always hope for boys with hearts such as yours, though they may often be very mischievous. This is the reason why I have come so far to look for you.This sentence demonstrates the use of the plural form traviesos to describe a group of boys.Tatoeba #5071140 by albrusgher, translation #2728195 by Hybrid
- Javier es un niño travieso que siempre encuentra una forma de meterse en problemas.Javier is a mischievous child who always finds a way to get into trouble.
- La profesora felicitó a María por su espíritu juguetón, pero también le pidió que se concentrara un poco más en clase.The teacher praised María for her playful spirit, but also asked her to focus a little more in class.
- Ricardo es un pícaro, siempre tiene ocurrencias graciosas.Ricardo is mischievous, he always comes up with funny pranks.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Lucía are talking about Lucía's younger brother.
- AlejandroTu hermano es muy travieso, ¿verdad?Your brother is very mischievous, right?
- LucíaSí, siempre está haciendo travesuras.Yes, he is always getting into mischief.
- AlejandroParece que nunca se queda quieto.It seems like he never stays still.
- LucíaEs un niño travieso, pero es muy dulce.He is a naughty boy, but he is very sweet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mischievous” translations and entries travieso, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries travieso, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
