Definition

Verb: - To beseech; to entreat: To ask someone earnestly or desperately for something, often by repeating the request many times. It implies a persistent and pleading appeal.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Cô ấy kêu nài mẹ cho đi chơi. (She entreated her mother to let her go out.)
  • Họ kêu nài sự giúp đỡ từ những người qua đường. (They beseeched help from passersby.)
  • Đứa trẻ kêu nài mãi để mua món đồ chơi. (The child pleaded incessantly to buy the toy.)

Advanced Usage

• The verb "kêu nài" often carries a connotation of a somewhat desperate or nagging plea, repeated over time because the initial request was not granted. It is not typically used for formal petitions but for personal, emotional appeals.

Variants and Related Words

• Nài nỉ (v): to plead, to implore. This is a very close synonym, often used interchangeably with "kêu nài."

  • Anh ấy nài nỉ tôi cho thêm một cơ hội. (He pleaded with me for one more chance.)

• Van nài (v): to beg, to supplicate. This term can suggest an even more humble or desperate entreaty.

  • Người tù van nài lòng thương xót. (The prisoner begged for mercy.)

Synonyms

• Beseech: To ask urgently and fervently.
• Entreat: To ask someone earnestly or anxiously to do something.
• Plead: To make an emotional appeal.
• Implore: To beg desperately.

Related Idioms

• While "kêu nài" itself is not commonly part of a fixed idiom, the act it describes is central to expressions of persistent begging or pleading in difficult circumstances.

verb

1. to beseech; to entreat