乖
guāi
(of a child) obedient, well-behaved
clever; shrewd; alert; perverse; contrary to reason; irregular; abnormal
thousand (千) + backs turned (北) = going the opposite way — or cleverly staying put
千 here may suggest a large diverging number, and 北 traces back to two people turning their backs on each other. Together they evoke straying or deviation — which is why 乖 can mean both 'contrary to expectation' and, by extension, a child who cleverly stays in line.
这个孩子很乖，从不乱发脾气。
zhè ge hái zi hěn guāi，cóng bù luàn fā pí qi。
This child is very well-behaved and never throws tantrums.
妈妈说只要我乖，就带我去公园玩。
mā ma shuō zhǐ yào wǒ guāi，jiù dài wǒ qù gōng yuán wán。
Mom said that as long as I am obedient, she will take me to the park to play.
Words with 乖
上一次当，学一次乖
shàng yī cì dàng , xué yī cì guāi
to take sth as a lesson for next time (idiom)
乖戾
guāi lì
perverse (behavior)
乖离
guāi lí
to part
乖乖
guāi guāi
(of a child) well-behaved
乖乖
guāi guai
goodness gracious!
乖乖女
guāi guāi nǚ
well-behaved girl; good girl
乖乖牌
guāi guāi pái
good little boy (or girl)
乖僻
guāi pì
peculiar
乖巧
guāi qiǎo
clever (child)
乖张
guāi zhāng
recalcitrant
乖忤
guāi wǔ
stubborn
乖觉
guāi jué
perceptive