biến trá
Definition
- Adjective:
- Deceitful; treacherous; hypocritical: Describes a person or behavior that is deliberately misleading, untrustworthy, and characterized by dishonesty or pretense. It implies a cunning or sneaky nature that hides true intentions.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Hắn ta là một kẻ biến trá, không ai có thể tin được. (He is a deceitful person whom no one can trust.)
- Lời nói biến trá của anh ấy đã lộ tẩy. (His deceitful words were exposed.)
- Đừng tin vào vẻ ngoài thân thiện, đó chỉ là sự biến trá. (Don't trust the friendly appearance; it's just hypocrisy.)
Advanced Usage
- While "biến trá" is a literary and somewhat rare term, it is used to emphasize a profound moral flaw, often in formal criticism or descriptive narratives about character.
Variants and Related Words
- Giả dối (adj): false, fake, insincere. A more common synonym.
- Xảo trá (adj): cunning, crafty, deceitful. Very similar in meaning and usage.
- Đạo đức giả (n): hypocrisy, hypocrite. Focuses more on the pretense of virtue.
Synonyms
- Deceitful: Intending to mislead or trick.
- Treacherous: Guilty of or involving betrayal of trust.
- Hypocritical: Behaving in a way that suggests one has higher standards or more noble beliefs than is the case.
- Two-faced: Insincere and deceitful.
Related Idioms
- Khẩu Phật tâm xà: "Mouth of Buddha, heart of a snake." Describes someone who speaks kindly but has malicious intent, closely related to the concept of "biến trá."
- Cảnh giác với những kẻ khẩu Phật tâm xà. (Beware of those who are two-faced.)