Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Ceremonious; Formal: Behaving in an excessively polite, elaborate, or ritualistic way that emphasizes social formality over genuine feeling. It often implies a lack of sincerity or warmth.
   • Affected; Mannerly: Displaying manners that are studied, unnatural, or put on for show, creating a sense of distance.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Anh ấy luôn khách sáo trong cách cư xử với đồng nghiệp mới. (He is always ceremonious in his behavior with new colleagues.)
  • Đừng khách sáo với tôi, cứ tự nhiên như ở nhà. (Don't be so formal with me, just make yourself at home.)
  • Lời khen của cô ấy nghe có vẻ khách sáo. (Her compliment sounded rather affected.)

Advanced Usage

• The term often carries a slightly negative connotation, suggesting that the formality is a barrier to authentic human connection. It describes behavior that is perceived as unnecessarily or excessively polite.

Variants and Related Words

• Sự khách sáo (n): The quality or act of being ceremoniously formal.
  • Sự khách sáo của anh ấy khiến mọi người khó gần. (His formality makes people hard to get close to.)

Synonyms

• Formal: Following established rules or conventions.
• Ceremonious: Marked by or involved with ceremony; very formal.
• Stiff: Not relaxed or friendly; rigid in manner.
• Affected: Artificial, pretentious, and designed to impress.

Antonyms

• Tự nhiên: Natural, spontaneous.
• Chân thành: Sincere, genuine.
• Thân mật: Intimate, familiar.

Related Idioms/Phrases

• Khách sáo quá hóa ra giả tạo: Excessive formality turns into falseness. This idiom cautions that being overly formal can come across as insincere or fake.
  • Cứ bình thường đi, khách sáo quá hóa ra giả tạo đấy. (Just act normally; being too formal will make you seem fake.)

adj

1. ceremonious; formal
   • khách sáo trong cách cư xử
     to be formal in one's behaviour