cãi nhau
Definition
- Verb phrase:
- To argue / to quarrel: The primary meaning of "cãi nhau" is to engage in a verbal conflict or disagreement, often involving anger, raised voices, and opposing viewpoints between two or more people.
- To bicker / to squabble: It can describe a less serious, often petty or repeated argument, typically about trivial matters.
- To have a row / to have a fight: In more intense contexts, it means to have a serious, heated argument or confrontation.
Usage Examples
- Verb phrase:
- Hai anh em thường xuyên cãi nhau về chuyện nhỏ. (The two brothers often argue about small things.)
- Họ cãi nhau rất to, hàng xóm đều nghe thấy. (They had a huge argument; all the neighbors heard it.)
- Đừng cãi nhau nữa, hãy bình tĩnh nói chuyện. (Stop quarreling; let's talk calmly.)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase inherently involves a reciprocal action between parties. It is less formal than "tranh luận" (to debate) and implies conflict.
- It can be used with modifiers to indicate intensity, e.g., "cãi nhau kịch liệt" (to argue fiercely), "cãi nhau om sòm" (to argue noisily).
Variants and Related Words
- Cãi (v): to argue, to dispute (can be one-sided or used in "cãi lại" meaning to talk back).
- Cô ấy không bao giờ cãi lời mẹ. (She never talks back to her mother.)
- Tranh cãi (v/n): to dispute, to contend; a dispute/debate (often more formal or focused on an issue than personal).
- Đây là một vấn đề gây nhiều tranh cãi. (This is a highly controversial issue.)
Synonyms
- Argue: to express opposing views in a heated manner.
- Quarrel: to have an angry argument.
- Bicker: to argue about petty things.
- Squabble: to engage in a noisy, trivial quarrel.
- Row (UK): to have a noisy argument.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- Cãi nhau như mổ bò: To argue fiercely and noisily (literally: to argue like butchering a cow).
- Họ cãi nhau như mổ bò cả tiếng đồng hồ. (They argued fiercely for a whole hour.)
- Cãi chày cãi cối: To argue stubbornly and relentlessly (literally: to argue like a pestle and mortar).
- Anh ấy cứ cãi chày cãi cối dù biết mình sai. (He kept arguing stubbornly even though he knew he was wrong.)