kháy

Thân thiện

Hai đứa trẻ kháy nhau bằng những lời trêu đùa.

Definition

1. Verb:
   • To tease, to provoke subtly: To make remarks or act in a way intended to mildly provoke, irritate, or mock someone, often in a playful or sarcastic manner.
   • To hint at sarcastically: To make an indirect or veiled critical comment intended to be understood by the target.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Anh ấy thích kháy bạn bè về chuyện cũ. (He likes to tease his friends about old stories.)
  • Đừng kháy cô ấy nữa, cô ấy sắp giận rồi. (Stop provoking her, she's about to get angry.)
  • Bài viết đó kháy vào thói quan liêu của một số cơ quan. (That article makes sarcastic hints about the bureaucracy of some agencies.)

Advanced Usage

• "kháy kháy": An adverbial reduplication indicating the action is done in a repeated, persistent, or mild teasing manner.
  • Cứ ngồi kháy kháy mãi, ai mà chịu được. (Just sitting there teasing persistently, who could stand it.)

Variants and Related Words

• Chòng ghẹo (v): To tease, to banter (often more playful and less provocative than "kháy").
• Châm chọc (v): To needle, to make biting or sarcastic remarks (can be sharper and more direct than "kháy").
• Khiêu khích (v): To provoke, to incite (generally stronger and more serious than "kháy").

Synonyms

• Trêu (v): To tease, to joke (often lighter and more good-natured).
• Chế giễu (v): To mock, to ridicule (usually more overt and derisive).

Related Phrases

• Kháy cho tức / Kháy cho bực: To tease/provoke someone to the point of irritation.
  • Nó cứ kháy cho tức là tôi nổi điên lên. (He kept provoking me until I was irritated enough to get mad.)

Học thuật

1. Hint, tease
   • Kháy nhau quá rồi đâm ra cải nhau
     Their mutual teasing degenerated into a quarrel