rebellious child; rebel; traitor
A strong, old-fashioned term for a child who rebels against parents or authority, or a person who betrays their lord or country. Rare in modern conversation; mostly found in historical or literary contexts.
In the past, those who defied their parents as rebellious children were severely punished.
歴史書には、主君を裏切った賊子の名が記されている。
The history book records the name of a traitor who betrayed his lord.
rebellious subject; traitor
Composed of 賊 (bandit, rebel) and 子 (child). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the compound has been used in classical Chinese and Japanese texts to denote a child who turns against familial or feudal loyalty.