chơi đểu
Definition
- Verb (slang, vulgar):
- To play dirty / to act in a bad faith, deceitful manner: The phrase "chơi đểu" describes the act of treating someone unfairly, dishonestly, or with malicious intent, often by breaking an implicit trust or social agreement. It implies a low, mean, or underhanded action.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Hắn ta hứa sẽ giúp nhưng cuối cùng lại chơi đểu. (He promised to help but ended up playing dirty.)
- Đừng chơi đểu với bạn bè như thế. (Don't act so deceitfully with friends like that.)
- Công ty đó bị tố chơi đểu khách hàng. (That company is accused of screwing over its customers.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is considered strong, informal, and vulgar. It conveys a strong sense of betrayal and contempt for the person performing the action. It is often used in confrontational contexts.
Variants and Related Words
- Chơi xấu (v): to play nasty, to act meanly. This is a slightly less vulgar synonym.
- Đối thủ cố tình chơi xấu trên sân. (The opponent intentionally played nasty on the field.)
Synonyms
- To double-cross: to betray someone who trusts you.
- To screw someone over (vulgar): to treat someone unfairly for one's own advantage.
- To pull a dirty trick: to deceive or harm someone through underhanded means.
Related Idioms
- While "chơi đểu" is itself an idiomatic phrase, it is the core expression for this concept. Related sentiments might be expressed by:
- Lật lọng: to flip-flop, to go back on one's word.
- Anh ta hay lật lọng, không đáng tin. (He often goes back on his word and is not trustworthy.)