神兽

神獸

shénshòu

noun

Measure Word

一只神兽 zhī

Meanings

1 (slang) unruly child; kid driving parents crazy
2 (literal) mythological beast / divine creature

Characters

Examples

孩子终于开学了,家里的神兽归笼。

Háizi zhōngyú kāixué le, jiā lǐ de shénshòu guīlóng.

School's finally back, the little beast is back in the cage.

在家带两只神兽,真的要疯了。

Zài jiā dài liǎng zhī shénshòu, zhēn de yào fēng le.

Looking after two little monsters at home, I'm about to lose it.

麒麟是中国传统神兽之一。

Qílín shì Zhōngguó chuántǒng shénshòu zhī yī.

The qilin is one of China's traditional mythological beasts.

Tips

culture

The slang sense exploded in 2020 when COVID school closures left parents trapped at home with their 'little beasts.' The phrase 神兽归笼 'the mythological beast returns to its cage' became shorthand for the relief of schools reopening. Named a 2020 Top 10 buzzword by 《咬文嚼字》.

register

Casual, affectionate-exasperated. Always use a measure word like 只 (one 'beast') to lean into the joke: 家里那只神兽.

Stroke Order

神 shén

兽 shòu