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Etymology
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The character 乖 is an ideogram combining 千 (qiān) with a variant of 北 (běi), visually representing elements turning away from each other. Its original sense conveyed divergence, deviation, and contrary behavior that violated established norms. Over time, this meaning underwent a significant inversion, shifting from rebelliousness to agreeableness. Today, 乖 is used almost exclusively in a positive sense to describe obedient and well-behaved children or pets who readily follow guidance. The older sense of deviation persists only in a few specialized literary compounds and classical idioms.
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Example Sentences Hide
妹妹今天很乖。
小狗乖乖地趴着。
他是个乖学生。
孩子们乖乖地排队。
妈妈希望我乖一点。
尽管调皮，他有时也很乖。
在老师面前，他表现得特别乖。
她看似乖巧，实则独立自主。