Chinese word

撒野

Pronunciation

Pinyinsā yě

Meaning

  • verbact up

Example

他在课堂上一直撒野，老师很生气。tā zài kè táng shàng yì zhí sā yě lǎo shī hěn shēng qì

He keeps acting up in class, and the teacher is very angry.

Illustration for 撒野 (act up)

More examples

下课后他们在操场上撒野，玩得很开心。xià kè hòu tā men zài cāo chǎng shàng sā yě wán de hěn kāi xīn

After class, they acted up on the playground and had a great time.

Core concept

Untamed behavior spills into the surroundings and disturbs the people nearby.

Common phrases

  • 在课堂上撒野zài kè táng shàng sā yě

    act up in class

  • 在公园撒野zài gōng yuán sā yě

    act up in the park

  • 到处撒野dào chù sā yě

    act up everywhere

Similar words

捣乱dǎo luàn: Deliberately interfere with an activity or disturb order so that things cannot proceed normally.
胡闹hú nào: Fool around in a noisy, disorderly way that annoys people nearby.
闹腾nào téng: Make a loud commotion that leaves a place noisy and unsettled.
闹事nào shì: Cause trouble or a public disturbance that creates problems in a public place.

Definition in Chinese

指顽皮或放肆地闹腾，常使周围人感到不快或混乱，多用于口语。zhǐ wán pí huò fàng sì dì nào téng cháng shǐ zhōu wéi rén gǎn dào bú kuài huò hùn luàn duō yòng yú kóu yǔ

Word origin

撒野 (sāyě, "act wild") combines 撒 (sā, "let loose") and 野 (yě, "wild"), presenting unruly behavior as wildness let loose.

Usage tips

  • The colloquial word usually carries the speaker's disapproval, so neutral descriptions of energetic play call for a milder expression.

Opposites

Word lists with this word