调皮
tiáo pí · HSK 4
mischievous
😈 调 = adjust/tune + 皮 = skin; a kid whose skin needs tuning, i.e. mischievous
调 (tiáo) means to adjust or tune; 皮 (pí) means skin or hide and by extension a child's behavior. Together: someone whose conduct needs constant tuning — naughty, unruly. 皮 alone is already slang for a cheeky kid.
调 — speech radical 讠(言) + 周 zhōu (phonetic)
调 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The 讠(言) radical signals 'speech' or 'words,' while 周 supplies the sound. Originally meaning to harmonize or coordinate through words, it later extended to 'tune,' 'adjust,' and 'melody' (read diào), and 'mix evenly' or 'mediate' (read tiáo).
皮 — hand 又 stripping hide off animal
皮 is a pictograph showing a hand (又) peeling the skin or hide off an animal carcass. The original meaning was 'animal hide' or 'to flay,' which broadened over time to mean skin, leather, or any outer covering or surface.