わんぱくな
わんぱくな
adjective
naughty; mischievous; rambunctious
1.
naughty, mischievous, rambunctious
Describes a child who is energetically disobedient, playfully unruly, or boisterously active. Generally carries an affectionate or tolerant nuance rather than true disapproval.
わんぱくな子供だ。
He's a naughty kid.
うちの息子はわんぱくで困っている。
Our son is so mischievous, it's a handful.
わんぱくな男の子たちが公園で泥だらけになって遊んでいた。
The rambunctious boys were playing in the park, covered in mud.
Also written in kanji as 腕白, though the hiragana or katakana spelling is more common today. Typically used to describe boys, though it can apply to any energetically mischievous child. The word has a warm, almost nostalgic tone — it suggests healthy, spirited playfulness rather than malicious behavior.
USAGE:
Functions as a na-adjective (わんぱくな子) or as a noun (わんぱくを言う, わんぱく坊主). Almost exclusively used for children — using it for adults would sound odd or deliberately humorous.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- わんぱくな子: a mischievous child
- わんぱく盛り: at the peak of mischievous age
- わんぱく坊主: mischievous little boy
- わんぱくな性格: a rambunctious personality
SIMILAR WORDS:
- いたずらっ子: prankster, naughty child — focuses on playing tricks rather than general rowdiness
- やんちゃな: unruly, rowdy — very similar but slightly more modern and casual
- 生意気な: cheeky, impudent — more negative, implies rudeness or talking back