ngoắt ngoéo
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Tortuous, winding, full of sharp bends: Describes a path, road, or line that has many twists and turns, not straight.
- Devious, deceitful, not straightforward: Describes a person's character, behavior, or speech that is cunning, indirect, and difficult to trust.
Usage Examples
Adjective (describing a path):
- Đường gì mà ngoắt ngoéo thế này! (What a tortuous/winding road this is!)
- Con đường mòn ngoắt ngoéo qua rừng. (The trail winds tortuously through the forest.)
Adjective (describing a person or behavior):
- Nó ngoắt ngoéo lắm, không tin được đâu. (He is very devious/deceitful, don't trust him.)
- Lời nói của hắn rất ngoắt ngoéo. (His words are very twisted/devious.)
Advanced Usage
- Used to describe complex, non-linear thought processes or arguments.
- Lập luận ngoắt ngoéo của anh ta khiến mọi người bối rối. (His tortuous reasoning confused everyone.)
Variants and Related Words
- Ngoằn ngoèo (adj): Also means winding or zigzagging, but often implies a smoother, more sinuous curve rather than sharp angles. It is less commonly used for describing deceitful character.
- Quanh co (adj): Meandering, roundabout; can describe both physical paths and indirect speech.
Synonyms
- For paths: Winding, twisting, serpentine, zigzag.
- For behavior: Devious, deceitful, cunning, scheming, indirect.
Related Idioms
- Đường đi nước bước ngoắt ngoéo: A phrase describing a complicated, multi-step plan or a tricky course of action.
- Kế hoạch của họ đường đi nước bước ngoắt ngoéo. (Their plan has many devious twists and turns.)
- Tortuous, devious
- Đường gì mà ngoắt ngoéo thế này!What a tortuous road!
- Nó ngoắt ngoéo lắm, không tin được đâuHe is very tortuous, don't trust him