hỏi dò
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- 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.)