Definition

1. Verb:
   • To speak ambiguously or equivocally; to use deliberately vague or double-meaning language: "nói lưỡng" describes the act of speaking in a non-committal, evasive, or ambiguous manner, often to avoid giving a clear answer or decision.
   • To quibble; to hedge: It can also mean to argue or speak over minor details in a petty way, often as a tactic to avoid addressing the main point or making a commitment.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Anh ấy cứ nói lưỡng mãi mà không đưa ra câu trả lời dứt khoát. (He kept speaking ambiguously without giving a definitive answer.)
  • Đừng nói lưỡng nữa, hãy cho tôi biết ý kiến thật của anh. (Stop being evasive; tell me your real opinion.)
  • Cô ấy nói lưỡng vì chưa biết quyết định như thế nào. (She is quibbling because she does not know what decision to take.)

Advanced Usage

• "nói lưỡng nói lai": This is a common reduplicative phrase that emphasizes persistent, evasive, or indecisive talk.
  • Cả buổi sáng anh ta chỉ ngồi nói lưỡng nói lai, không giải quyết được việc gì. (All morning he just sat there talking evasively without resolving anything.)

Variants and Related Words

• Nói lửng: This is a direct variant with the same meaning as "nói lưỡng". It is often used interchangeably.

  • Thái độ nói lửng của anh ta khiến mọi người khó chịu. (His equivocal manner of speaking annoyed everyone.)

• Nói mập mờ / Nước đôi: These are synonyms meaning "to speak ambiguously" or "to use double-talk".

• Nói quanh co: This means "to beat around the bush", a related concept of avoiding a direct answer.

Synonyms

• Quibble: To argue or raise objections about a trivial matter.
• Hedge: To avoid giving a clear or direct answer or commitment.
• Equivocate: To use ambiguous language to conceal the truth or avoid commitment.
• Prevaricate: To speak or act in an evasive way.

Related Phrases

• Ăn nói nước đôi: To speak in a double-tongued or duplicitous manner.
  • Chính trị gia đó thường ăn nói nước đôi với cử tri. (That politician often speaks with forked tongue to the voters.)

Related Idioms

• Nói một đàng làm một nẻo: To say one thing and do another (implies dishonesty or inconsistency, related to the evasiveness of "nói lưỡng").
  • Đừng tin hắn, hắn hay nói một đàng làm một nẻo lắm. (Don't trust him; he often says one thing and does another.)

1. cũng nói nói lửng Quibble
   • Nói lưỡng vì chưa biết quyết định như thế nào
     To quibble because one does not know what decision to take