Definition

1. Verb:
   • To inquire cautiously; to probe; to sound out: The primary meaning of "hỏi dò" is to ask questions in a careful, indirect, or gradual manner to gather information, understand a situation, or gauge someone's opinion or knowledge without being direct or confrontational.
   • To investigate discreetly; to make discreet inquiries: It implies a process of asking around, checking with various sources, or investigating quietly to uncover details or the truth about something.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Phóng viên hỏi dò ý kiến của các cử tri. (The reporter sounded out the opinions of the voters.)
  • Cô ấy hỏi dò xem công ty có đang tuyển dụng không. (She made discreet inquiries to see if the company was hiring.)
  • Cảnh sát hỏi dò hàng xóm về các hoạt động đáng ngờ. (The police discreetly questioned the neighbors about suspicious activities.)

Advanced Usage

• "hỏi dò thông tin": to probe for information; to fish for information.
  • Anh ta đang cố hỏi dò thông tin về dự án mới. (He is trying to fish for information about the new project.)
• "hỏi dò ý tứ": to sound out someone's intentions; to test the waters.
  • Tôi sẽ hỏi dò ý tứ của sếp trước khi đưa ra đề xuất. (I will sound out the boss's intentions before making a proposal.)

Variants and Related Words

• Điều tra (v): to investigate (often more formal and systematic than "hỏi dò").
  • Cơ quan chức năng đang điều tra vụ việc. (The authorities are investigating the case.)
• Thăm dò (v): to probe, to survey, to gauge (often used for opinions or reactions).
  • Công ty tiến hành thăm dò thị trường. (The company conducted a market survey.)

Synonyms

• Probe: to inquire deeply into.
• Sound out: to try to discover someone's opinions or intentions indirectly.
• Make inquiries: to ask questions to gain information.

Related Idioms

• Hỏi dò cho ra ngô ra khoai: To inquire persistently until getting a clear and satisfactory answer (literally: to ask until the corn and the sweet potatoes are separated).
  • Phải hỏi dò cho ra ngô ra khoai thì mới biết sự thật. (You have to ask persistently until you get to the bottom of it to know the truth.)

verb

1. to investigate