寵壞 / 宠坏
chǒnghuài
The English word 'spoiled' (referring to a person) is translated into Chinese as 寵壞 / 宠坏 (chǒnghuài). If unsure, use 寵壞 / 宠坏. Wiktionary also lists 溺愛 / 溺爱 (nì'ài).
Meaning: (of a person, usually a child) having a selfish or greedy character due to pampering (adj)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 寵壞 / 宠坏 | chǒnghuài |
| 溺愛 / 溺爱 | nì'ài |
This term is most commonly used to describe children who have developed a selfish or greedy character because they have been pampered too much, such as in the phrase 寵壞了的孩子 / 宠坏了的孩子 (a spoiled child). You can also describe the act of excessive spoiling using the phrase 过分宠爱 (excessive spoiling).
What does it mean word for word?
The term 寵壞 / 宠坏 is composed of 寵 (to pamper) and 壞 (to spoil or ruin).
Which one should you use?
While 寵壞 / 宠坏 describes the resulting state of a person being spoiled, 溺愛 / 溺爱 describes the act of overindulging or doting on someone. The term 溺愛 / 溺爱 conveys the idea of excessive indulgence or over-spoiling.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express that someone 'has been spoiled', you can use the passive marker 被 (bèi) before the word, forming 被寵壞了 / 被宠坏了.
How do you pronounce it?
chǒnghuài
Did you know?
- The word 溺愛 / 溺爱 (nì'ài) literally uses the character for 'drowning', suggesting that excessive love is like being submerged in water.
- The term 寵 / 宠 (chǒng) is also the same character used in the word for 'pet', reflecting the idea of being highly indulged.
- While 寵 means to pamper, it was historically used in ancient texts to refer to favorites or concubines in the imperial court.
Examples in context
- 他从小就被父母宠爱，所以有点儿任性He has been spoiled by his parents since childhood, so he is a bit willful.
- 父母常抱着孩子，溺爱他们The parents often hold their children, spoiling them.
- 这个孩子娇生惯养，不懂得关心别人This child has been spoilt and does not know how to care for others.
- 他的祖父母宠坏了他，所以他总是不懂感恩His grandparents spoiled him, so he never knows how to be grateful.
- 被宠坏的孩子常常自私A spoiled child is often selfish.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “spoiled” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
