Definition

1. Noun:

   • A children's game: "hú tim" refers to the traditional children's game where one person hides and the others seek.
   • Hide-and-seek: The direct equivalent in English for this specific game.

2. Verb (colloquial):

   • To act in a roundabout, evasive, or elusive manner: Used metaphorically to describe behavior that is indirect, confusing, or intentionally hard to pin down.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • Bọn trẻ đang chơi hú tim trong vườn. (The children are playing hide-and-seek in the garden.)
  • Hú tim là trò chơi tuổi thơ của nhiều người. (Hide-and-seek is a childhood game for many people.)

• Verb:

  • Anh ta cứ hú tim mãi, không chịu trả lời thẳng câu hỏi. (He keeps being evasive, refusing to answer the question directly.)
  • Đừng có hú tim nữa, hãy nói rõ ý kiến của anh đi. (Stop being so roundabout, please state your opinion clearly.)

Advanced Usage

• "Chơi trò hú tim": To play games (figuratively), to be deliberately elusive or tricky.
  • Công ty đó đang chơi trò hú tim với các nhà đầu tư. (That company is playing games with the investors.)

Variants and Related Words

• Trốn tìm: Another common Vietnamese term for "hide-and-seek". It is often used interchangeably with "hú tim" for the noun meaning (the game).
• Lẩn tránh: To evade, to dodge. This is a more formal synonym for the verb sense of avoiding something directly.

Synonyms

• Trò chơi trốn tìm: Hide-and-seek game (noun).
• Quanh co: Roundabout, indirect (for the verb sense).
• Lảng tránh: To avoid, to shirk (for the verb sense).

Related Idioms

• "Chơi trò mèo vờn chuột": To play cat and mouse. This idiom shares a similar figurative sense of evasion and elusive behavior as the verb "hú tim".
  • Cuộc đàm phán giống như một trò chơi mèo vờn chuột. (The negotiation is like a game of cat and mouse.)

1. Hide-and-seek