kỳ kèo
Definition
- Verb:
- To haggle / to bargain persistently: The primary meaning of "kỳ kèo" is to negotiate, often in a petty, persistent, or argumentative manner, especially over a price or the terms of an agreement.
- To nitpick / to complain naggingly: It can also mean to find fault or complain in a persistent, fussy, or annoying way about minor details.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Hai bên kỳ kèo giá cả suốt nửa tiếng. (The two sides haggled over the price for half an hour.)
- Đừng kỳ kèo về những chi tiết nhỏ nữa. (Stop nitpicking about the small details.)
- Cô ấy cứ kỳ kèo mãi về chuyện đó. (She kept complaining naggingly about that matter.)
Advanced Usage
- "kỳ kèo mặc cả": This phrase combines "kỳ kèo" with "mặc cả" (to bargain), emphasizing the act of intense haggling.
- Việc kỳ kèo mặc cả ở chợ là rất bình thường. (Haggling and bargaining at the market is very normal.)
Variants and Related Words
- Mặc cả (v): To bargain, to negotiate a price. This is a more neutral term for bargaining, while "kỳ kèo" often carries a connotation of being more tedious or petty.
Synonyms
- Haggle: To argue or bargain persistently, especially over the cost of something.
- Nitpick: To criticize or find fault in a petty or fussy way.
- Squabble: To argue noisily over something trivial.
Related Idioms
- Kỳ kèo bớt một thêm hai: To haggle back and forth incessantly (literally: to haggle, reduce one, add two). This idiom vividly describes prolonged and petty negotiation.
- Hợp đồng mãi chưa xong vì hai bên cứ kỳ kèo bớt một thêm hai. (The contract is still not done because the two sides keep haggling back and forth incessantly.)