gãi chuyện
Definition
- Verb phrase:
- To prompt conversation / to elicit talk: The act of encouraging or stimulating someone to speak, often by introducing a topic or asking leading questions.
- To scratch up a story / to fish for a story (figurative): To try to get someone to tell a story or share information, sometimes by persistent or indirect prompting.
Usage Examples
- Verb phrase:
- Anh ấy ngồi gãi chuyện với các cụ già cả buổi. (He sat and prompted conversation with the elderly all afternoon.)
- Nhà báo phải biết cách gãi chuyện để phỏng vấn hiệu quả. (A journalist must know how to elicit talk to interview effectively.)
- Đừng có gãi chuyện nữa, cô ấy không muốn nói về chuyện đó đâu. (Stop trying to fish for the story; she doesn't want to talk about it.)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase is often used in contexts where one person is trying to get another, who may be reluctant, shy, or lost in thought, to start talking. It implies a gentle, probing, or coaxing action.
Variants and Related Words
- Gợi chuyện (verb phrase): to bring up a topic, to suggest a subject for conversation. This is a more common near-synonym.
- Cô ấy gợi chuyện về kỳ nghỉ để mọi người cùng chia sẻ. (She brought up the topic of the vacation for everyone to share.)
Synonyms
- To prompt: To incite or move to action; to assist (a speaker) by suggesting something to be said.
- To elicit: To draw out or bring forth (a response or information).
- To coax: To persuade or try to persuade by gentle, persistent urging.
Related Idioms
- Khơi gợi: to evoke, to inspire (thoughts or feelings). While broader, it can relate to sparking conversation.
- Bài thơ khơi gợi nhiều kỷ niệm. (The poem evokes many memories.)