Definition

1. Verb (informal, often negative connotation):
   • To suddenly change one's attitude or behavior, becoming difficult, uncooperative, or contrary to what was previously agreeable or promised.
   • To show one's true (and often unpleasant) colors; to turn nasty or difficult.

Usage

• This verb describes a sudden and negative shift in someone's demeanor, often causing trouble or inconvenience for others.
• It is commonly used in spoken Vietnamese and carries a critical or disapproving tone.
• It typically refers to people, not situations or objects.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Anh ta hứa sẽ giúp, nhưng đến lúc cần lại giở quẻ. (He promised to help, but when needed, he turned difficult.)
  • Đừng tin lời nó, nó rất hay giở quẻ. (Don't believe his words; he often shows his true colors.)
  • Mọi người đang thảo luận rất vui vẻ, bỗng anh ấy giở quẻ lên, không chịu hợp tác nữa. (Everyone was discussing happily, then he suddenly became uncooperative and refused to cooperate.)

Advanced Usage

• "giở cái quẻ (gì) đó ra": This is a more emphatic and colloquial form, adding "cái" for emphasis. It translates to "to pull that (kind of) stunt/trick".
  • Lại giở cái quẻ không nghe điện thoại ra rồi! (Pulling the "not answering the phone" stunt again!)

Variants and Related Words

• Trở quẻ: This is a direct synonym with identical meaning and usage. "Giở quẻ" is more common in Northern Vietnamese, while "trở quẻ" is used in both North and South.
• Giở chứng: A closely related phrase meaning "to act up" or "to have a fit (of bad behavior)". It often implies a recurring, characteristic bad behavior.
  • Nó lại giở chứng lười biếng. (He's acting up with his laziness again.)
• Giở giọng: To change one's tone (to a negative one).
  • Anh ta bắt đầu giở giọng đe dọa. (He started to change his tone to a threatening one.)
• Thay lòng đổi dạ: To change one's heart and mind (can be neutral or negative, but often about feelings in relationships, not just momentary behavior).

Synonyms

• Turn difficult/bad: Trở nên khó tính/khó chịu.
• Go back on one's word: Nuốt lời, không giữ lời hứa.
• Show one's true colors: Lộ bản chất thật.

Related Idioms/Phrases

• Nắng không ưa, mưa không chịu: (Literally: Doesn't like the sun, can't stand the rain). This idiom describes a person who is perpetually hard to please and often "giở quẻ", finding fault with everything.
  • Làm việc với người nắng không ưa mưa không chịu thật là mệt. (Working with someone who is never satisfied and always difficult is really tiring.)

1. như trở quẻ