Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 猴子 | hóuzi |
| 猴兒 / 猴儿 | hóur |
| 猴 | hóu |
The term refers to the primate known as a monkey. Metaphorically, just as in English, calling someone a 猴子 can describe a person who is restless, mischievous or climbing around excessively. If you need to refer specifically to an ape or a great ape in a formal context, the term 猿 is used instead.
Which one should you use?
The standard form is 猴子. The form 猴儿 is a diminutive version meaning 'little monkey'. The single-character form 猴 can be used in certain expressions or comparisons.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
猴子 is the standard, most common way to say 'monkey' in modern Mandarin. 猴儿 is a colloquial form used to sound more affectionate or casual. 猿 is a formal term specifically for an ape or great ape.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form 猴儿 (also written as 猴儿) is a colloquial version often heard in Northern Chinese dialects, such as the Beijing dialect.
How does it change in a sentence?
猴子 is the default and most common form used in modern Mandarin.
How do you pronounce it?
hóuzi
Did you know?
- The term 沐猴 was historically used to describe a 'bathing monkey', often as a metaphor for someone who dresses up or mimics nobility but remains uncouth.
- In Chinese culture, the 猴子 is famously embodied by Sun Wukong, the Monkey King from the classic novel 'Journey to the West', who possesses supernatural powers and 72 transformations.
- The Chinese zodiac includes the 猴 as one of its twelve animals, symbolizing intelligence, curiosity and agility.
Examples in context
- 你看着像猴。You look like a monkey.This sentence shows how to use the form 猴 in a comparison.Tatoeba #5780564 by verdastelo9604, translation #3348067 by CK
- 猴子爬上了树。The monkey climbed up a tree.This sentence uses the default form 猴子 to describe an action.Tatoeba #1372495 by sadhen, translation #50347 by CK
- 那不是猪，而是猴子。It's not a pig, it's a monkey.This sentence uses the default form 猴子 to identify the animal.Tatoeba #1790134 by sadhen, translation #59088 by Eldad
- 我喜欢看猴子。I like watching monkeys.
- 那只猴子真调皮。That monkey is really mischievous.
- 猩猩是一种猿。The orangutan is a kind of ape.
- 这只小猴真可爱！This little monkey is so cute!
- 我在台湾看到一群猴仔玩耍。I saw a group of monkeys playing in Taiwan.
- 14 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Junjie and Yuting are at the zoo looking at the exhibits.
- 俊杰 Junjie快看，那只猴子在吃香蕉！Kuài kàn, nà zhī hóuzi zài chī xiāngjiāo!Look quickly, that monkey is eating a banana!
- 雨婷 Yuting它看起来真的很有趣。Tā kàn qǐlái zhēnde hěn yǒuqù.It looks really interesting.
- 俊杰 Junjie我觉得猴子很聪明。Wǒ juéde hóuzi hěn cōngmíng.I think monkeys are very smart.
- 雨婷 Yuting我也这么觉得。Wǒ yě zhème juéde.I think so too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “monkey” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 猴, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
