いたずら小こ僧ぞう

い

た

ず

ら

こ

ぞ

う

Meanings

1

noun

mischievous boy; little rascal

Refers to a boy who enjoys playful tricks or mild troublemaking. Often used affectionately or with mild exasperation.

近きん所じょのいたずら小こ僧ぞうがまた庭にわにボールを投なげ込こ

ん

だ

。

The mischievous boy from the neighborhood threw a ball into the garden again.

あのいたずら小こ僧ぞうはいつも妹いもうとをからかっている。

That little rascal is always teasing his younger sister.

Kanji

小little, small
僧Buddhist priest, monk
悪bad, vice, rascal
戯frolic, play, sport

Related words

いたずらっ子こ
Similar meaning but more general; can refer to a mischievous child of any gender, while いたずら小僧 specifically means a boy.
腕わん白ぱく小こ僧ぞう
Also means a naughty boy, but 腕白 emphasizes rough-and-tumble, boisterous behavior rather than playful tricks.

Written forms

いたずら小こ僧ぞう
Standard mixed kana-kanji spelling.
イタズラ小こ僧ぞう
Katakana spelling of the first part, sometimes used for emphasis or in informal writing.
悪戯いたずら小こ僧ぞう
Full kanji spelling; 悪戯 is an uncommon ateji for いたずら and may not be widely recognized.

Etymology

Compound of いたずら (mischief, prank) and 小僧 (young boy, kid). The word 小僧 originally meant a young Buddhist monk but came to be used for boys in general.