láu táu
Definition
- Adjective:
- Hasty and talkative: Describes a person who speaks quickly, impulsively, and often without careful thought, typically resulting in rapid, disjointed, or excessive chatter.
- Impulsive and rash: Characterizes someone who acts or reacts with hurried thoughtlessness, not limited to speech but extending to general behavior.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Đứa bé nào cũng láu táu trả lời trước khi cô giáo hỏi xong. (Every child was hasty, answering before the teacher finished asking.)
- Tính nó láu táu, hay làm đổ vỡ đồ. (He has a rash temperament and often breaks things.)
- Cô ấy trả lời một cách láu táu, không suy nghĩ kỹ. (She answered in a hasty and thoughtless manner.)
Advanced Usage
- The word "láu táu" is a reduplicative form, where the base "láu" is repeated and modified to create a stronger, more vivid meaning. This structure is common in Vietnamese to emphasize a quality, often a negative one.
- It frequently carries a mildly critical or disapproving tone, implying that the person should be more deliberate, calm, or thoughtful.
Variants and Related Words
- Láu (adj): Sly, cunning, or cheeky (often of a child). While "láu" and "láu táu" share a root, their core meanings differ significantly.
- Hấp tấp (adj): Hasty, rushed, impetuous. This is a close synonym for the behavioral aspect of "láu táu" but does not inherently include the talkative component.
- Lắm lời (adj): Talkative, loquacious. This shares the quality of speaking a lot but lacks the connotation of impulsive haste.
Synonyms
- Garrulous: Excessively talkative.
- Impulsive: Acting without forethought.
- Precipitate: Done with undue haste.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- Ăn nói láu táu: To speak in a hasty and thoughtless way.
- Mọi người khó hiểu khi cậu ấy ăn nói láu táu như vậy. (People found it hard to understand when he spoke so hastily and incoherently.)
- Tính tình láu táu: To have a rash or impetuous character.
- Cần sửa cái tính tình láu táu thì mới làm được việc lớn. (You need to correct that rash character to accomplish big things.)