你真坏
nǐ zhēn huài
In Chinese, the phrase for "you're mean" is 你真坏 (nǐ zhēn huài).
While this phrase can mean "you are bad" or "you are evil," it is often used in a casual context to tell someone they are being naughty or to tease them in a playful or flirtatious way.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 你真坏 is composed of 你 (you), 真 (really/truly) and 坏 (bad/naughty).
Which one should you use?
Using 真 (really) instead of 很 (very) in the phrase 你很坏 adds an emotional emphasis of disbelief or exclamation, making the phrase sound more like a reaction to a specific behavior.
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the tone more expressive, softer or more emotive, you can add the sentence-final particle 啊 to the end of the phrase, resulting in 你真坏啊.
How do you pronounce it?
nǐ zhēn huài
Did you know?
- The word 坏 can also be used to describe food that has gone rotten or a machine that is broken, showing how the concept of 'bad' extends from moral character to physical state.
- To make the phrase sound even more cute or childlike, speakers sometimes replace 你 with 你这个 and add 小 before 坏, creating 你这个小坏蛋, which translates to 'you little bad egg'.
- In Chinese culture, calling someone 'bad' with 坏 in a playful way is a common trope in 'tsundere' style interactions in modern pop culture and dramas.
Examples in context
- 你的言行有些过分 (Nǐ de yánxíng yǒuxiē guòfèn)Your words and actions are a bit excessive.
- 你好坏 (Nǐ hǎo huài)You're so bad.
- 你好刻薄 (Nei hou hak bok)You're very mean.
- 你真坏。Nǐ zhēn huài.You're so mean.
- 你怎么能这么说，你真坏。Nǐ zěnme néng zhème shuō, nǐ zhēn huài.How could you say that, you're so mean.
- 别开玩笑了，你真坏。Bié kāi wánxiào le, nǐ zhēn huài.Stop joking, you're mean.
Example conversation
Haoran teased Jiayi about her new haircut.
- 浩然 Haoran你的新发型看起来很特别。Nǐ de xīn fàxíng kàn qǐlái hěn tèbié.Your new hairstyle looks very special.
- 佳怡 Jiayi你是在笑话我吗？你真坏！Nǐ shì zài xiàohuà wǒ ma? Nǐ zhēn huài!Are you making fun of me? You're so mean!
- 浩然 Haoran我没有，我只是在开玩笑。Wǒ méiyǒu, wǒ zhǐshì zài kāi wánxiào.I'm not, I'm just joking.
- 佳怡 Jiayi哼，我不理你了。Hng, wǒ bù lǐ nǐ le.Hmph, I'm not talking to you anymore.
