Definition

1. Verb phrase:
   • To argue back and forth / to bicker persistently: To engage in prolonged, repetitive, and often petty verbal disputes or complaints. It implies a circular, unproductive exchange of words.
   • To nag or grumble incessantly: To complain about something repeatedly in an annoying or persistent manner.

Usage Examples

• Verb phrase:
  • Hai vợ chồng ấy suốt ngày nói ra nói vào về chuyện tiền nong. (That husband and wife argue back and forth about money matters all day.)
  • Đừng có nói ra nói vào nữa, mọi việc đã quyết định rồi. (Stop grumbling incessantly; the decision has already been made.)
  • Cả nhóm nói ra nói vào mãi mà không tìm được giải pháp. (The group argued back and forth for a long time without finding a solution.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase often describes a tiresome, cyclical pattern of speech that leads nowhere. It carries a negative connotation of futility and annoyance.

Variants and Related Words

• Cãi nhau (v): to argue, to quarrel. This is a more general term for arguing.
• Càm ràm (v): to grumble, to mutter complaints. This focuses more on the complaining tone.
• Tranh cãi (v): to debate, to dispute. This can be more formal or substantive than "nói ra nói vào."

Synonyms

• To bicker: To argue about petty things.
• To squabble: To engage in a noisy, trivial quarrel.
• To harp on (something): To talk about something persistently in a nagging way.

Related Idioms

• Nói đi nói lại: To say something over and over again. This shares the repetitiveness but may lack the argumentative element of "nói ra nói vào."
• Cãi cọ: To quarrel, to bicker. Very close in meaning.