撒娇

撒嬌
sājiāo
verb #32,834

Meanings

  1. 1 to act like a spoiled child
  2. 2 to act coquettishly; to play cute (to get one's way)
  3. 3 to throw a tantrum

Examples

HSK 2
Dōu zhème dà le hái sājiāo.
You're so old yet still acting like a spoiled kid.
HSK 3
Xiǎo nǚhái zài māma miànqián sājiāo.
The little girl is acting cute in front of her mom.
HSK 4
Tā yì sājiāo, nánpéngyǒu jiù shénme dōu dāyìng.
Once she puts on the cute act, her boyfriend agrees to anything.

Tips

culture
撒娇 has no clean English equivalent - it's a recognized social move where someone (usually a child, partner, or pet) deliberately acts adorably helpless or pouty to soften the listener and get their way. In Mandarin pop culture, 撒娇 is treated as a real skill, especially for girlfriends; the film 《撒娇女人最好命》 ("Women Who Flirt", 2014) takes it as its premise.
usage
Often used in / + person + 撒娇: 爸爸撒娇 (she acts cute towards her dad). Compare 卖萌 (to deliberately be cute, often for an audience) - 撒娇 is targeted at one specific person to extract something.

Stroke Order

jiāo