nhác trông

Nhác trông, chiếc bánh trông rất ngon lành.

Definition

1. Adverbial phrase:
   • At first glance / At first sight: Used to describe an initial impression or judgment formed from a quick or casual observation, often implying that a more detailed examination may reveal a different reality.

Usage Examples

• Adverbial phrase:
  • Nhác trông thì những bức tranh ấy khá đẹp. (At first glance, those paintings look quite beautiful.)
  • Nhác trông, căn nhà có vẻ rất cũ kỹ. (At first sight, the house appears very old.)
  • Nhác trông tưởng dễ, nhưng công việc này thực ra rất phức tạp. (It seemed easy at first glance, but this job is actually very complex.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase is typically used at the beginning of a sentence or clause to set up a contrast, often followed by a clause introduced by "nhưng" (but), "thực ra" (actually), or "mới thấy" (then one sees) to present a different, more accurate assessment.

Variants and Related Words

• Thoạt nhìn / Thoạt trông: Adverbial phrases with an identical meaning: "at first look".
  • Thoạt nhìn, mọi thứ có vẻ bình thường. (At first look, everything seemed normal.)

Synonyms

• At first glance: Upon initial, often superficial, observation.
• At first sight: Based on the immediate appearance.
• On the face of it: As something appears initially.

Related Idioms

• Trông mặt mà bắt hình dong: An idiom meaning "to judge by appearances", which relates to the concept of initial, potentially misleading, impressions conveyed by "nhác trông".
  • Đừng nên trông mặt mà bắt hình dong. (You shouldn't judge a book by its cover.)