What does it mean word for word?
The adjective rebelde means "rebellious" or "unruly" and is derived from the same root as the English word "rebel".
Which one should you use?
Depending on the nuance you want to convey, you might choose a different term. Use niño travieso or niño revoltoso to better capture the behavior of younger children. If you want to specify that a child is disobedient, use the formal niño desobediente or use niño incontrolable for an uncontrollable child. While niño rebelde focuses on defiance, niño malcriado is often used to describe a child who is unruly because they are spoiled or poorly raised.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, the phrase niño malcriado is used to mean a spoiled child or a misbehaved child.
How does it change in a sentence?
To refer to an unruly girl, change the masculine noun niño to the feminine niña, resulting in niña rebelde.
How do you pronounce it?
/niɲo ɾebelde/
Did you know?
- The word niño might not actually come from a formal Latin root, but instead mimics the actual sounds of a baby's first words, much like how the English word 'nanny' or 'nun' originated.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, calling a child travieso is often seen as a compliment or a sign of intelligence and curiosity, rather than a criticism of their behavior.
- The word rebelde retains a strong political connotation in Spanish, often evoking images of historical revolutions and independence movements more than it does in the English 'unruly'.
Examples in context
- Ese niño rebelde no hace caso a sus padres.That unruly child does not listen to his parents.
- Ese niño rebelde no quiere comer.That unruly child does not want to eat.
- Es difícil cuidar a un niño rebelde.It is difficult to look after an unruly child.
- El profesor tiene un niño rebelde en su clase.The teacher has an unruly child in his class.
Example conversation
Two parents are talking about their children's behavior.
- DanielMi hijo no quiere dormir ahora.My son doesn't want to sleep now.
- SofíaParece que tienes un niño rebelde.It seems like you have an unruly child.
- DanielSí, es muy difícil controlarlo.Yes, he is very difficult to control.
- SofíaToda madre entiende ese sentimiento.Every mother understands that feeling.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries niño, rebelde, CC BY-SA 4.0.
