nói dựa
Definition
- Verb phrase:
- To echo or parrot someone's words: To repeat or mimic what another person has just said, often without adding original thought or simply to agree superficially.
- To speak based on another's statement: To formulate one's own speech by directly relying on or following from the words of the interlocutor.
Usage Examples
- Verb phrase:
- Đứa trẻ hay nói dựa theo lời người lớn. (The child often parrots the words of adults.)
- Anh ấy không có ý kiến riêng, chỉ biết nói dựa. (He has no opinion of his own; he only knows how to echo others.)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase often carries a slightly negative connotation, implying a lack of independent thought or originality in speech. It describes a conversational behavior rather than a single act.
Variants and Related Words
- Nói theo (v): to speak following someone, to imitate in speech.
- Cô ấy thích nói theo những câu trong phim. (She likes to repeat lines from movies.)
Synonyms
- To parrot: To repeat words mechanically.
- To echo: To repeat or reflect someone's words or ideas.
- To mimic (in speech): To imitate someone's manner of speaking.
Related Idioms
- Nói dựa cột mà nghe: An idiom implying that one's words are not based on personal conviction or fact, but are merely borrowed or unreliable.
- Đừng tin anh ta, anh ta chỉ nói dựa cột mà nghe thôi. (Don't believe him; he's just saying things without basis.)