cương ngạnh
Definition
- Adjective:
- Obstinate; stubborn; headstrong: Describes a person who is unreasonably determined to have their own way, refusing to change their opinion or behavior despite persuasion or reason. It implies a rigid, unyielding attitude.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Anh ta rất cương ngạnh, không bao giờ chịu nghe lời khuyên của ai. (He is very obstinate, never willing to listen to anyone's advice.)
- Tính cương ngạnh của đứa trẻ khiến cha mẹ nó rất lo lắng. (The child's stubborn nature worries his parents greatly.)
Advanced Usage
- The term cương ngạnh is considered somewhat formal or literary in modern Vietnamese and is less common in everyday speech than synonyms like "bướng bỉnh" or "ngoan cố." It often carries a negative connotation of inflexibility.
Variants and Related Words
- Cương quyết (adj): Resolute, determined. This is a positive term for firmness in a good cause, unlike the negative cương ngạnh.
- Cô ấy rất cương quyết bảo vệ lập trường của mình. (She is very resolute in defending her position.)
Synonyms
- Stubborn: Having or showing dogged determination not to change one's attitude or position.
- Obstinate: Stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or chosen course of action.
- Headstrong: Energetically willful and determined, often in a reckless way.
Related Idioms
- While there is no direct idiom with cương ngạnh, the concept is similar to:
- Cứng đầu cứng cổ: (Stiff-headed, stiff-necked) An idiom meaning extremely stubborn and disobedient.
- Đứa bé cứng đầu cứng cổ không chịu nghe lời. (The child is stiff-necked and refuses to listen.)