Definition

1. Verb:
   • To boast / to brag: To speak with excessive pride about oneself, one's possessions, or one's achievements, often exaggerating the truth.
   • To tell tall tales / to fib: To make statements that are not true, especially in a playful or exaggerated way to impress others.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Đừng tin anh ta, anh ta chỉ thích nói khoác thôi. (Don't believe him, he just likes to boast.)
  • Bọn trẻ thường nói khoác về những món quà chúng nhận được. (Children often brag about the gifts they receive.)
  • Câu chuyện đó nghe như nói khoác. (That story sounds like a tall tale.)

Advanced Usage

• The act of nói khoác can range from harmless exaggeration to deliberate deception intended to elevate one's status or story.
• It is often used in a disapproving tone to criticize someone for being untruthful or arrogant.

Variants and Related Words

• Khoe khoang (v): To show off, to flaunt. This focuses more on displaying possessions or achievements, while nói khoác focuses on verbal exaggeration.
  • Cô ấy luôn khoe khoang chiếc xe mới. (She always shows off her new car.)
• Khoác lác (v): A synonym for nói khoác, meaning to brag or talk big.
  • Anh ấy khoác lác về chuyến đi của mình. (He bragged about his trip.)

Synonyms

• Boast: To talk with excessive pride.
• Brag: To say something in a boastful manner.
• Exaggerate: To represent something as greater than it is.
• Fib: To tell a small, trivial lie.

Related Idioms

• Nói khoác như Cuội: To lie or exaggerate as famously as the mythical figure "Cuội," who is known in Vietnamese folklore for his tall tales.
  • Lời hứa của nó, nói khoác như Cuội, đừng tin. (His promises are as reliable as Cuội's tales, don't believe them.)