小人精

xiǎorénjīng

noun

Meanings

1 exceptionally bright kid
2 child prodigy
3 precocious little one (often affectionate, sometimes wary)

Characters

spirit; sharp-witted

Examples

他家那个小人精才四岁就会写字了。

Tā jiā nàge xiǎorénjīng cái sì suì jiù huì xiězì le.

That bright little one in his family can already write at just four years old.

这小人精，什么都骗不过他。

Zhè xiǎorénjīng, shénme dōu piàn bú guò tā.

This shrewd little kid — you can't fool him about anything.

Tips

usage

精 here borrows the sense of 'a sprite/spirit' from folklore — 狐狸精 (fox spirit), 妖精 (demon spirit) — and applies it admiringly (or warily) to a kid who is freakishly clever beyond their years. Affectionate by default, but can carry a tinge of 'too clever for their own good.'

Stroke Order

小 xiǎo

人 rén

精 jīng