猴 (hóu) — (noun) monkey; (colloquial) clever, sharp person; smart aleck; (colloquial) mischievous person; imp (often used for children)
Definition
Literally 'monkey', but in colloquial speech 猴 also describes a clever, mischievous person — usually a child — based on the animal's quick, restless image. Compare with 猴子, the standard plain word for the animal itself.
noun
monkey(colloquial) cleversharp personsmart aleck(colloquial) mischievous personimp (often used for children)
Measure word · 只
Examples
- 猴，。Dòng wù yuán lǐ yǒu sān zhī hóu, tè bié huó pō.There are three monkeys in the zoo, very lively.
- 猴，！Nǐ zhēn shì gè hóu jīng, shén me bàn fǎ dōu xiǎng dé chū lái!You're such a sly monkey—you come up with every trick!
- 猴，。Zhè hái zi gēn xiǎo hóu shì de, yí kè yě xián bú zhù.This child is like a little monkey, always restless.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
猴 pairs 犭, the animal part, with 侯, which gives the sound.
Appears in
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.