nói lí
Definition
- Verb:
- To argue sophistically / to quibble: To engage in argument using clever but often false or misleading reasoning, focusing on trivial details rather than the main point. It implies using logic in a petty, unreasonable, or deceptive way.
- To be argumentative: To have a tendency to argue, especially over minor points.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Đừng nói lí nữa, hãy nhìn vào sự thật. (Stop quibbling; look at the facts.)
- Anh ta không chịu thua, cứ nói lí mãi. (He wouldn't admit defeat and kept arguing sophistically.)
- Cậu bé hay nói lí mỗi khi bị mẹ mắng. (The boy often gets argumentative whenever his mother scolds him.)
Advanced Usage
- The term often carries a negative connotation, criticizing someone for being unnecessarily contrarian or for using flawed logic to avoid admitting a mistake or accepting a simple truth.
Variants and Related Words
- Cãi lí (v): A near-synonymous compound verb meaning to argue back, to dispute obstinately. It emphasizes the act of talking back or rebutting.
- Nó thích cãi lí với thầy cô. (He likes to talk back to his teachers.)
Synonyms
- To quibble: To argue about small, unimportant details.
- To split hairs: To make small and unnecessary distinctions in an argument.
- To be disputatious: Inclined to argue or debate.
Related Idioms
- Nói lí lắc: An intensified, more colloquial form meaning to argue back and forth persistently and annoyingly with clever but irritating reasoning.
- Thằng bé nói lí lắc, chẳng chịu nghe lời ai. (The kid argues back and forth stubbornly and doesn't listen to anyone.)