桀骜不驯 (jié ào bú xùn) — (idiom, of a person or animal) wild and unruly; intractable and arrogant

Definition

An idiom for someone (or an animal) who is wild, defiant, and refuses to be controlled — stronger and more literary than everyday words like 任性.

idiom
(idiom, of a person or animal) wild and unrulyintractable and arrogant

Examples

  • 桀骜不驯，。
    Zhè pǐ mǎ xìng gé jié ào bú xùn, yì bān rén xùn fú bù liǎo.
    This horse has an unruly temperament — ordinary people can't tame it.
  • 桀骜不驯，。
    Tā cóng xiǎo jié ào bú xùn, shuí de huà dōu bù tīng.
    He has been wild and defiant since childhood, listening to no one.
  • 桀骜不驯，。
    Suī rán tā jié ào bú xùn, dàn nèi xīn qí shí hěn gū dú.
    Although she is arrogant and rebellious, deep down she is actually very lonely.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

桀骜wild
桀jiéwild骜àoarrogant
联合Side by side
不驯not tame
不bùnot驯xùntame
偏正Modifier + head

桀骜 means wild and 不驯 means not tame; together they describe unruly stubbornness.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mù
Sound part声符shēngfú
匄
匄gài桀jié
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In older writing, 桀 was made from 木 plus 匄, with 匄 showing the sound. In modern 桀, the 匄 part has changed into a shape like 舛.

Open 桀 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 驁; 骜 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
馬馬mǎhorse
Sound part声符shēngfú
敖
敖áo驁ào
Same sound today

The traditional form 驁 combines 馬 (horse) with 敖, which gives the sound; the simplified 骜 is a later shorthand.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The picture in 不 originally showed a flower’s calyx; the “no” sense came later from a related character, not from this picture.

Open 不 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 馴; 驯 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
馬馬mǎ
Sound part声符shēngfú
川
川chuān馴xùn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 馴 uses 馬 (horse) for the meaning and 川 for the sound; the simplified 驯 is a later shorthand.

Open 驯 →

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