Definition

1. Idiomatic phrase (verb phrase):
   • To know/learn what someone is capable of; to experience someone's power, strength, or skill (often through a negative consequence): Used to indicate that someone will be or has been made to understand the true ability, force, or toughness of another person, typically as a warning or after a lesson has been delivered.

Usage

• "biết tay" is used to describe the act of making someone realize or understand your (or another's) power, skill, or the serious consequences of opposing you. It often implies a threat, a challenge, or the result of a confrontation where one side demonstrates superiority.
• It is primarily used in spoken Vietnamese (khẩu ngữ).
• Common sentence patterns:
  • cho [ai đó] biết tay: to let/show [someone] what one is made of; to teach [someone] a lesson.
  • [ai đó] biết tay [ai đó] chưa?: Has [someone] learned their lesson yet? / Does [someone] know what [someone else] is capable of yet?
  • để [ai đó] biết tay: so that [someone] will know what's what.

Usage Examples

• As a warning or declaration:
  • Tao sẽ cho mày biết tay. (I'll let you know what I'm made of.)
  • Để nó biết tay anh đi. (Go on, show him what you're made of.)
• Describing a lesson learned:
  • Sau trận thua đó, nó đã biết tay đối thủ rồi. (After that loss, he has learned what his opponent is capable of.)
  • Bị phạt nặng thế, nó biết tay chưa? (He got such a heavy penalty, has he learned his lesson yet?)

Advanced Usage / Nuances

• The phrase carries a connotation of deterrence or establishing dominance. It's not simply about knowing information, but about knowing through direct, often harsh, experience.
• It can be used in various contexts: physical fights, competitions, business rivalries, or any situation where one party's capability is proven.
• biết tay often follows an action meant to punish or defeat.

Variants and Related Words

• Biết: (verb) To know.
• Biết mặt: (idiom) To know someone by face; to be acquainted with.
• Biết điều: (idiom) To be reasonable; to know what's proper.
• Cho bài học: (phrase) To teach a lesson. (This is a common action leading to ).

Synonyms

• Kinh sợ: To fear, to be in awe of. (Focuses on the resulting fear rather than the process of learning.)
• Nể phục: To respect, to admire. (Can be a positive result of .)
• Khiếp: To be terrified/scared. (A stronger, more fearful reaction.)

Related Idioms / Phrases

• Biết thế nào là: To know what it's like to... (e.g., - to know what pain is like). This shares the structure of learning through experience.
• Trả giá: To pay the price. (The consequence that leads to .)

Notes

• The phrase biết tay is informal and direct. It is common in everyday speech but less suitable for formal writing.
• The literal translation "to know the hand" metaphorically refers to knowing the strength or skill that comes from someone's "hand" (i.e., their actions or abilities).

khẩu ngữ

1. To know what stuff one is made of
   • ta sẽ cho nó biết tay
     I'll let him know what stuff I'm made of