नटखट (natkhat)
adjective
A single-sense adjective describing playful, mischievous behavior, most often used affectionately about children.
Sense
1
:
mischievous, naughty (in a cute, playful sense)
adjective
Synonyms: शरारती (sharaartii), चंचल (chanchal, more about restlessness/fickleness than mischief)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: नटखट (natkhat) is the word every Indian grandmother reaches for when a toddler steals sweets or hides a shoe -- it's warm, not scolding. It's also permanently attached in the popular imagination to baby Krishna, whose butter-stealing antics are described as नटखट (natkhat) in countless bhajans and calendar-art captions, so the word carries a gentle devotional-cultural echo even in everyday use.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for this word to describe genuinely bad or harmful behavior -- नटखट (natkhat) carries an affectionate, indulgent tone and is almost always about children or cute mischief, not real misconduct. For that, शरारती (sharaartii) or बदतमीज़ (badatmiiz) fit better depending on severity. 2) It's rarely used for adults except in a teasing, romantic, or joking register.
Sample Sentences:
मेरा भतीजा बहुत नटखट है।
My nephew is very naughty.
(meraa bhatiijaa bahut natkhat hai।)
बचपन में वह बहुत नटखट थी, हमेशा शरारतें करती रहती थी।
As a child she was very naughty, always up to some mischief or the other.
(bachpan men vah bahut natkhat thii, hameshaa sharaarten kartii rahtii thii।)
नटखट कन्हैया माखन चुराकर भाग जाते थे।
The mischievous little Krishna would steal butter and run away.
(natkhat kanhaiyaa maakhan churaakar bhaag jaate the।)
अरे नटखट, फिर से चप्पल कहाँ छुपा दी?
Hey you little rascal, where have you hidden the slipper again?
(are natkhat, phir se chappal kahaan chhupaa dii?)
इतनी नटखट मत बनो, वरना मम्मी डाँटेंगी।
Don't be so naughty, or Mummy will scold you.
(itnii natkhat mat bano, varnaa mammii daantengii।)
अगर वह इतनी नटखट न होती, तो टीचर उसे इतना प्यार न करतीं।
If she weren't so mischievous, the teacher wouldn't love her so much.
(agar vah itnii natkhat n hotii, to tiichar use itnaa pyaar n kartiin।)
बच्चे की नटखट मुस्कान देखकर सबका दिल पिघल गया।
Seeing the child's mischievous smile, everyone's heart melted.
(bachche kii natkhat muskaan dekhkar sabkaa dil pighal gayaa।)
कान्हा के नटखट रूप का वर्णन इस भजन में बहुत सुंदर ढंग से किया गया है।
Kanha's mischievous form is beautifully described in this bhajan.
(kaanhaa ke natkhat roop kaa varnan is bhajan men bahut sundar dhang se kiyaa gayaa hai।)
काश मेरा बेटा भी उतना ही नटखट होता जितनी मेरी भतीजी है।
I wish my son were as naughty as my niece is.
(kaash meraa betaa bhii utnaa hii natkhat hotaa jitnii merii bhatiijii hai।)
क्लास का सबसे नटखट बच्चा आज बहुत शांत बैठा है।
The naughtiest child in the class is sitting very quietly today.
(klaas kaa sabse natkhat bachchaa aaj bahut shaant baithaa hai।)
दादी माँ कहती हैं कि नटखट बच्चे ही घर में रौनक लाते हैं।
Grandmother says that it's the naughty children who bring liveliness to a home.
(daadii maan kahtii hain ki natkhat bachche hii ghar men raunak laate hain।)
Morphology
Adjective (variable)
(sg.m):
नटखट
(natkhat)
(pl.m):
नटखटे
(natakhte)
(sg.f):
नटखटी
(natakhtii)
(pl.f):
नटखटी
(natakhtii)