Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Verbose, argumentative, or overly talkative in a disputatious manner: "già mồm" describes a person who talks excessively, often in a contentious or back-talking way, to argue a point or refuse to yield in a discussion. It implies a tiresome persistence in speech, especially when opposing someone.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Đừng có già mồm với tôi! (Don't you talk back to me like that!)
  • Thằng bé này già mồm lắm, nói mãi không chịu nghe. (This kid is so argumentative; he talks back and never listens.)
  • Nó già mồm cãi lại thầy giáo. (He talked back verbosely to the teacher.)

Advanced Usage

• The term often carries a negative, scolding, or disapproving tone. It is typically used by an authority figure (like a parent or teacher) towards someone perceived as being disrespectfully talkative or insubordinate.
• It can describe not just the act of arguing back, but the inherent characteristic of being a person who frequently engages in such behavior.

Variants and Related Words

• Già họng: A variant with the same meaning as "già mồm".
• Cãi: (Verb) To argue, to dispute. "Già mồm" often modifies or is associated with this action.
• Lý sự: (Verb/Adjective) To reason pedantically, to be argumentative. This is a close conceptual relative but is slightly more formal and focuses on sophistry rather than just voluble back-talk.

Synonyms

• Hay cãi: Prone to arguing.
• Lắm lời: Talkative (can be neutral or negative, but less specifically about arguing back).
• Cứng họng: Stubborn in speech, unwilling to yield in an argument.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Già mồm cãi: To argue back verbosely. This is a common collocation where "già mồm" functions adjectivally to describe the manner of arguing.
  • Nó không bao giờ chịu thua, cứ già mồm cãi đến cùng. (He never admits defeat, he just argues back verbosely until the end.)

1. (cũng nói già họng) Verbosely argumentative
   • Già mồm cãi
     To talk back verbosely