bẻ lẽ

Một học sinh bẻ lẽ lại ý kiến của bạn trong giờ thảo luận.

Definition

1. Verb:
   • To argue back / to retort: To counter someone's statement or argument with opposing reasoning, often in a contentious or nitpicking manner.
   • To quibble / to split hairs: To engage in petty or trivial argumentation, focusing on minor details.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Cậu ấy hay bẻ lẽ người khác. (He often argues back at others.)
  • Đừng bẻ lẽ từng câu nói của tôi. (Don't quibble over every single thing I say.)
  • Cô ấy bẻ lẽ lại rằng kế hoạch đó không thực tế. (She retorted that the plan was impractical.)

Advanced Usage

• The term often carries a slightly negative connotation, implying the argument is unnecessary, overly pedantic, or done to be contrary rather than to have a constructive discussion.

Variants and Related Words

• Cãi lại (v): to talk back, to argue against. This is a more general term for arguing back.
• Nói lại (v): to talk back. A simpler, less confrontational term than .

Synonyms

• Retort: to answer back sharply or wittily.
• Quibble: to argue or raise objections about a trivial matter.
• Contradict: to assert the opposite of a statement.

Related Idioms

• Bẻ họng, bẻ họng bẻ miệng: (a more aggressive, idiomatic extension) To forcefully silence someone's argument or to argue back very aggressively.
  • Anh ta định bẻ họng tôi ngay trong cuộc họp. (He intended to shut me down/silence me right in the meeting.)