いたずらっこ

noun

mischievous child; little imp

person family

1. mischievous child; little imp; prankster kid

a child who is playfully naughty or fond of playing tricks, used affectionately regardless of gender

あの子(こ)はいたずらっこだ。

That child is a little imp.

いたずらっこの笑顔(えがお)には怒(おこ)れない。

You can't get angry at a mischievous child's smile.

幼稚園(ようちえん)のいたずらっこたちが先生(せんせい)のイスに画鋲(がびょう)を置(お)いて叱(しか)られた。

The mischievous kids at kindergarten were scolded for putting a thumbtack on the teacher's chair.

A colloquial compound of いたずら (mischief, prank) and っこ (child, a casual diminutive suffix from 子(こ)). Can be written in kanji as 悪戯(いたずら)っ子(こ). The term is affectionate and usually describes harmless childish naughtiness rather than truly bad behavior.

Common collocations

いたずらっこな目(め): mischievous eyes
いたずらっこの笑顔(えがお): a mischievous smile
いたずらっこぶり: mischievous behavior

Similar words

いたずら: mischief, prank — the base word
やんちゃ坊主(ぼうず): naughty boy — specifically for boys, emphasizes rowdiness
わんぱく小僧(こぞう): rowdy boy — emphasizes rough, unruly behavior
悪(わる)ガキ: bad kid — stronger and more negative than いたずらっこ

Related Words

Compare: やんちゃ坊主(ぼうず) (naughty boy)

general

Added 2026.4.22 23:46 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02

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