泼辣
pōla
The English word 'sassy' can be translated into Chinese as 泼辣 (pōla).
泼辣 is used to describe someone, often a woman, who is bold, spirited, cheeky, impudent or saucy. It frequently describes a person who is assertive and outspoken, though it can imply a manner that is somewhat sharp or aggressive.
Meaning: bold and spirited, cheeky, impudent, saucy (adj)
Which one should you use?
While 泼辣 can be used in a positive sense to mean 'bold and spirited', it can also carry a slightly negative connotation of being 'overbearing' or 'too aggressive' depending on the context in which it is used.
How do you pronounce it?
pōla
Did you know?
- The term 泼辣 literally translates to 'to splash and to spicy'. The first character 泼 means to splash or spill liquid, while 辣 refers to the heat of chili peppers.
- While 泼辣 is often used for women, applying it to a man can be a subtle insult, implying he lacks the traditional stoicism expected of masculinity.
- In modern internet slang, young people might use 飒 (sà) instead of 泼辣 to describe a woman who is 'cool' and 'bold' without the aggressive connotations.
Examples in context
- 自信傲娇 (zì xìn ào jiāo)Confidently sassy
- 她说话办事都很泼辣。Tā shuōhuà bànshì dōu hěn pōlà.She is very bold and spirited in the way she speaks and acts.
- 那个女孩子性格很泼辣。Nàge nǚ háizi xìnggé hěn pōlà.That girl has a very saucy personality.
- 我不喜欢这种泼辣的性格。Wǒ bù xǐhuān zhè zhǒng pōlà de xìnggé.I do not like this kind of impudent personality.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a new colleague.
- 浩然 Haoran你觉得新同事怎么样？Nǐ juédé xīn tóngshì zěnmeyàng?What do you think of the new colleague?
- 梓涵 Zihan我觉得她很泼辣，很有主见。Wǒ juédé tā hěn pōlà, hěn yǒu zhǔjiàn.I think she's very sassy and independent.
- 浩然 Haoran她是不是太冲了？Tā shì bú shì tài chōng le?Is she a bit too aggressive?
- 梓涵 Zihan不，梓涵认为这种性格很酷。Bù, Zǐhán rènwéi zhè zhǒng xìnggé hěn kù.No, Zihan thinks this kind of personality is cool.
