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轻狂 (qīng kuáng) — frivolous and arrogant; flippant and reckless

Definition

轻狂 (qīngkuáng) means frivolous and arrogant — cocky behavior from someone who lacks maturity, usually young. It carries stronger criticism than just 'careless' and describes a person's attitude or manner, not a single action.

adjective
frivolous and arrogantflippant and reckless

Examples

  • 轻狂，。
    Tā nián qīng shí hou hěn qīng kuáng, xiàn zài chéng shú duō le.
    He was very frivolous and arrogant when he was young, but now he's much more mature.
  • 轻狂。
    Zhè zhǒng qīng kuáng de tài dù ràng rén hěn bù shū fu.
    This kind of flippant attitude makes people very uncomfortable.
  • 轻狂，。
    Tā shuō huà zǒng shì nà me qīng kuáng, yì diǎn dōu bù wěn zhòng.
    He always speaks so frivolously, not steady at all.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

轻qīngfrivolous
狂kuángreckless

轻 adds frivolousness and 狂 adds wildness, so the word means flippant and reckless.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 輕; 轻 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
車車jūcarriage
Sound part声符shēngfú
巠
巠jīng輕qīng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 輕 pairs 車, a carriage, with 巠 to give the sound; it originally named a light carriage. The simplified 轻 is only a later shorthand.

Open 轻 →

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
犭Written in full as犬quǎndog
Sound part声符shēngfú
㞷
㞷㞷狂kuáng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

狂 pairs 犭 (dog) with 㞷, which gives the sound; 㞷 is an old form of a character meaning 'to go'.

Open 狂 →
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