hóurjīng
猴儿精
clever person; shrewd; astute
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
2 senses · 5 examplesnoun
a clever or mischievous person (often used figuratively)
dialectCommonly used in northern dialects to describe someone who is witty, naughty, or hard to fool.
Tā他
shì是
gè个
hóu猴
jīng精
，
shuí谁
yě也
piàn骗
bù不
liǎo了
tā他
。
He's a clever one; nobody can fool him.
Zhè这
qún群
hóu猴
jīng精
yòu又
zài在
xiǎng想
shén什
me么
guǐ鬼
zhǔ主
yi意
？
What kind of mischief are these clever rascals plotting now?
adjective
shrewd; astute; calculating; clever
informalOften used in the reduplicated form '猴精猴精的' to emphasize shrewdness, sometimes with a negative connotation of being too calculating.
Zhè这
xiǎo小
zi子
hóu猴
jīng精
hóu猴
jīng精
de的
，
bù不
huì会
chī吃
kuī亏
。
This kid is very shrewd; he won't suffer any losses.
Tā他
zuò做
shēng生
yi意
hóu猴
jīng精
de得
hěn很
，
cóng从
lái来
bù不
kuī亏
běn本
。
He's extremely astute at doing business and never loses money.
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Bié别
gēn跟
tā他
suàn算
jì计
，
tā他
bǐ比
shuí谁
dōu都
hóu猴
jīng精
。
Don't try to calculate against him; he's shrewder than anyone else.