いけない子

ikenai ko
naughty child

いけない子はお菓子を食べ過ぎた

The naughty child ate too many sweets


informal

A child who is mischievous, disobedient, or behaves badly

母はいけない子を叱った

The mother scolded the naughty child

いけない子は学校で騒いだ

The naughty child made noise in school

This phrase is commonly used to describe children who misbehave or act inappropriately. It can be used affectionately or critically depending on tone.

Related Phrases

Pro Tip

Tone matters

The phrase can sound affectionate or critical depending on the speaker's tone and context.

Gold Rule

Common parenting phrase

This is a very common phrase used by parents and caregivers when talking about children's behavior.

Word Origin

From いけない (naughty, bad) + 子 (child). The phrase combines the negative adjective with the word for child to describe misbehavior.

Usage Notes

This phrase is often used in a lighthearted or affectionate way, even when the child's behavior is actually problematic. It's common in parenting contexts.

Word Breakdown

いけない
naughty, bad
adjective
+
child
noun
和英辞典