kèo nài
- Verb:
- To urge persistently; to insist strongly: "kèo nài" describes the action of repeatedly and earnestly asking, requesting, or pressuring someone to do something or to agree to something.
- To press; to entreat: It conveys a sense of applying gentle but continuous pressure in a plea or demand.
- Verb:
- Anh ấy cứ kèo nài tôi ở lại ăn tối. (He kept insisting that I stay for dinner.)
- Đừng có kèo nài nữa, tôi đã quyết định rồi. (Stop insisting/pressing me, I've already decided.)
- Cô ấy kèo nài bố mẹ mua cho chiếc xe đạp mới. (She persistently entreated her parents to buy her a new bicycle.)
"kèo nài ai làm gì": to insist that someone do something.
- Bạn tôi kèo nài tôi tham dự buổi tiệc. (My friend insisted that I attend the party.)
Often implies the request is somewhat burdensome or that the person being asked is initially reluctant. The tone can range from affectionate pleading to annoying pestering depending on context.
Nài nỉ (Verb): To beg, to plead. This is a very close synonym, often used interchangeably with "kèo nài," though "nài nỉ" can sometimes sound slightly more pleading or begging.
- Đứa trẻ nài nỉ mẹ mua kẹo. (The child begged his mother to buy candy.)
Ép buộc (Verb): To compel, to force. This is stronger and more coercive than "kèo nài."
- Thuyết phục (Verb): To persuade. This is more neutral and focuses on convincing with reason rather than persistent asking.
- Insist: khăng khăng, nài nỉ.
- Persist: kiên trì, cố nài.
- Urge: thúc giục.
- Press: thúc ép, gây áp lực (nhẹ).
"Kèo nài cho bằng được": To insist until one gets what one wants; to not take no for an answer.
- Cậu bé kèo nài cho bằng được món đồ chơi đó. (The boy insisted until he got that toy.)
While "kèo nài" itself is not typically part of a larger idiomatic structure, it is a vivid, colloquial word commonly used in spoken Vietnamese to describe persistent requesting.