Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Naive, simple-minded, gullible: Describes a person who is innocent, lacks worldly experience or cunning, and is easily deceived or tricked due to a lack of awareness or sophistication.
   • Silly, foolish in an innocent way: Can describe an action or expression that appears foolish but stems from simple-mindedness rather than malice.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Anh ấy trông thật khờ khạo khi tin vào lời hứa đó. (He looks so naive believing that promise.)
  • Cô bé có nụ cười khờ khạo và đáng yêu. (The little girl has a silly and lovely smile.)
  • Đừng có khờ khạo mà nghe theo lời người lạ. (Don't be so gullible as to listen to strangers.)

Advanced Usage

• "vẻ mặt khờ khạo": a naive/simple-minded expression.

  • Cậu ấy đứng đó với vẻ mặt khờ khạo, không hiểu chuyện gì đang xảy ra. (He stood there with a naive expression, not understanding what was happening.)

• "hành động khờ khạo": a foolish/naive action.

  • Hành động khờ khạo đó khiến anh ta mất hết tiền. (That naive action caused him to lose all his money.)

Variants and Related Words

• Khờ (adj): A more common, shorter synonym meaning naive, simple, or dim-witted.

  • Nó khờ lắm, dễ bị lừa. (He's very naive, easily fooled.)

• Ngây thơ (adj): Innocent, often with a positive connotation of purity, but can also imply naivety.

  • sự ngây thơ của trẻ con (the innocence of children)

• Khờ dại (adj): Foolishly naive, simpleton-like (slightly stronger than "khờ khạo").

  • Anh ta khờ dại đến mức không biết mình bị lợi dụng. (He is foolishly naive to the point of not knowing he's being used.)

Synonyms

• Cả tin (adj): Credulous, gullible (emphasizes a tendency to believe things easily).
• Ngu ngốc (adj): Stupid, foolish (generally stronger and more negative, implying lack of intelligence rather than just innocence).
• Ngốc nghếch (adj): Silly, goofy (often less harsh, can be endearing).

Idioms and Common Phrases

• (Có vẻ) khờ khạo như bò đội nón: (To look) as foolish as a cow wearing a hat. A humorous idiom emphasizing a very silly or clueless appearance.
  • Nghe xong câu đố, nó ngồi im với vẻ mặt khờ khạo như bò đội nón. (After hearing the riddle, he sat silently with a face as foolish as a cow wearing a hat.)

1. Naive