mẹo mực
Definition
- Noun:
- Trick; stratagem; clever scheme: A cunning or ingenious plan designed to achieve a specific goal, often through cleverness rather than direct means.
- Rule; method; established procedure: A systematic way or set of guidelines for doing something correctly or effectively.
Usage Examples
Noun (as trick/stratagem):
- Hắn ta có nhiều mẹo mực để thuyết phục người khác. (He has many tricks to persuade others.)
- Đó là một mẹo mực kinh doanh rất thông minh. (That is a very clever business stratagem.)
Noun (as rule/method):
- Ông ấy dạy cho tôi mẹo mực sửa chữa máy này. (He taught me the method for repairing this machine.)
- Mỗi nghề đều có mẹo mực riêng. (Every trade has its own rules/methods.)
Advanced Usage
- The word often implies a sense of practical wisdom, cleverness, or insider knowledge, whether used for a cunning trick or a skillful method. It can carry a neutral or slightly positive connotation when referring to expertise, but may imply deceit when referring to a scheme.
Variants and Related Words
- Mưu mẹo (n): Cunning scheme, trickery. This compound emphasizes deceitful cleverness.
- Đừng tin những mưu mẹo của hắn. (Don't believe his cunning schemes.)
Synonyms
- Trick: A cunning act or scheme intended to deceive or outwit.
- Stratagem: A plan or scheme, especially one used to outwit an opponent.
- Method: A particular procedure for accomplishing or approaching something.
- Technique: A way of carrying out a particular task.
Related Idioms
- Biết mẹo mực: To know the tricks of the trade; to be savvy about how something is done.
- Làm nghề này lâu nên anh ấy biết hết mẹo mực. (Having worked in this trade for a long time, he knows all the tricks of the trade.)