いけない子

ikenai ko
phraseIntermediate naughty child
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