<blockquote>
<p><a href="https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E6%B4%BB%E5%AE%9D/82741" rel="nofollow noreferrer">活宝</a></p>
<p>吴方言中指可笑的人或滑稽的人</p>
<p>Wu dialect means ridiculous person or funny person</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It can be a derogatory term if you use it to describe a ridiculous person. It can also be an endearment term if you use it to describe a fun person or funny person.</p>
<p>I would translate 活宝 as:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>&quot;fun one&quot; or &quot;funny one&quot; (endearment)</p>
</li>
<li><p>&quot;buffoon&quot; or &quot;clown&quot; (derogatory)</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>Example:</p>
<p>Your dog that always does stupid thing and make everyone laugh, is a fun one (活宝)</p>
<p>A stupid old man told people to drink cleaning product to cure flu and make people laughing at him, is a clown (活宝 <em>sarcastic</em>)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-28T23:06:10.393Z
2020-04-29T00:38:46.810Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
Tang Ho
<p>There is no negative meaning in this condition, it means you can always make atmosphere
good or happy.
In the Chinese version of HarryPotter novel. "活宝" is used to describe fred and george．</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-30T09:13:42.993Z
2020-04-30T09:13:42.993Z
Ricky
<p>活着的宝贝，傻乎乎的人. A alive baby, a little funny</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-30T09:32:04.643Z
2020-04-30T09:32:04.643Z
buddha
<p><a href="https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&amp;wdrst=0&amp;wdqtm=1&amp;wdqcham=1&amp;wdqt=%E6%B4%BB%E5%AE%9D" rel="nofollow noreferrer">MDBG</a></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>活宝<br>
  huó​bǎo​<br>
  buffoon / clown / ridiculous person</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-29T05:04:04.930Z
"...other implied, positive meanings...." So, how about "cute" as used in the modern-day sense?
Wayne Cheah
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-28T23:05:57.700Z
2020-04-28T23:05:57.700Z
Mou某
<p>I would say in English it is probably equal to "Someone who likes to goof around". </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-29T02:25:52.827Z
2020-04-29T02:25:52.827Z
sylvia
<p>My boss is Chinese and calls a coworker and I this <code>活宝</code> . The automated translation services tend to say <code>Living Treasure</code> <code>Two Big Live Treasures</code> or <code>Living Baby</code>. She swears there is more to the definition than that and has other implied, positive meanings. I would love to have a better translation if possible? </p>

<translation><usage><vocabulary>
What does 活宝 mean?
# What does 活宝 mean?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-04-28)

My boss is Chinese and calls a coworker and I this `活宝` . The automated translation services tend to say `Living Treasure` `Two Big Live Treasures` or `Living Baby`. She swears there is more to the definition than that and has other implied, positive meanings. I would love to have a better translation if possible?

**Tags:** translation, usage, vocabulary


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## 5 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-04-28. Score: 2

> [活宝](https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E6%B4%BB%E5%AE%9D/82741)
>
> 吴方言中指可笑的人或滑稽的人
>
> Wu dialect means ridiculous person or funny person

It can be a derogatory term if you use it to describe a ridiculous person. It can also be an endearment term if you use it to describe a fun person or funny person.

I would translate 活宝 as:

* "fun one" or "funny one" (endearment)
* "buffoon" or "clown" (derogatory)

Example:

Your dog that always does stupid thing and make everyone laugh, is a fun one (活宝)

A stupid old man told people to drink cleaning product to cure flu and make people laughing at him, is a clown (活宝 *sarcastic*)


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### Answer by username_2 on 2020-04-30. Score: 0

There is no negative meaning in this condition, it means you can always make atmosphere
good or happy.
In the Chinese version of HarryPotter novel. "活宝" is used to describe fred and george．


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### Answer by username_3 on 2020-04-30. Score: 0

活着的宝贝，傻乎乎的人. A alive baby, a little funny


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### Answer by username_4 on 2020-04-28. Score: 0

[MDBG](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdrst=0&wdqtm=1&wdqcham=1&wdqt=%E6%B4%BB%E5%AE%9D)

> 活宝  
> huó​bǎo​  
> buffoon / clown / ridiculous person

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: "...other implied, positive meanings...." So, how about "cute" as used in the modern-day sense?  

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### Answer by username_6 on 2020-04-29. Score: 0

I would say in English it is probably equal to "Someone who likes to goof around".


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