kẻ vạch
Definition
- Verb:
- To slander / to speak ill of: The primary meaning of "kẻ vạch" is to maliciously point out or expose someone's faults or secrets with the intent to defame or harm their reputation. It implies a deliberate and often unfair act of speaking negatively about someone.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Hắn ta thích kẻ vạch người khác sau lưng. (He likes to slander others behind their backs.)
- Đừng kẻ vạch nhau, hãy nói chuyện trực tiếp. (Don't speak ill of each other; talk directly.)
- Việc kẻ vạch đồng nghiệp là không thể chấp nhận được ở nơi làm việc. (Slandering colleagues is unacceptable in the workplace.)
Advanced Usage
- The action of "kẻ vạch" often carries a strong negative connotation of betrayal, pettiness, or spreading gossip. It is not merely criticizing but doing so in a way that is considered underhanded or destructive to social harmony.
Variants and Related Words
- Nói xấu (v): to speak badly of, to badmouth. This is a more common and general synonym.
- Cô ấy không bao giờ nói xấu ai. (She never speaks ill of anyone.)
Synonyms
- Defame: to damage the good reputation of someone.
- Malign: to speak about someone in a spitefully critical manner.
- Backbite: to say mean or spiteful things about a person who is not present.
Related Idioms
- While "kẻ vạch" itself is not typically part of a fixed idiom, the concept is related to behaviors described in phrases like:
- Đâm bị thóc, chọc bị gạo: to stir up trouble, to cause conflict (often by gossiping or pointing out faults).
- Người đó chuyên đâm bị thóc, chọc bị gạo trong xóm. (That person specializes in stirring up trouble in the neighborhood.)