nói lọn
Definition
- Verb phrase:
- To make a verbal slip; to misspeak: The primary meaning of "nói lỡn" is to say something incorrectly by mistake, often resulting in a humorous or unintended meaning. It refers to an error in speech, not a grammatical mistake, but a slip of the tongue where the wrong word is uttered.
- To make a blunder in speech: It implies a minor, often accidental, verbal error or confusion while speaking.
Usage Examples
- Verb phrase:
- Xin lỗi, tôi nói lỡn một chút. (Sorry, I misspoke a little.)
- Cô giáo cười khi học sinh nói lỡn. (The teacher laughed when the student made a slip of the tongue.)
- Anh ấy hay nói lỡn khi quá căng thẳng. (He often misspeaks when he's too nervous.)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase is informal and describes a spontaneous, unintentional error. It is not used for deliberate lies or serious misstatements, but for minor, fleeting mistakes in speech.
Variants and Related Words
Nói nhầm (v): to say the wrong thing by mistake; a close synonym for "nói lỡn."
- Tôi định nói "chín" nhưng lại nói nhầm thành "mười". (I meant to say "nine" but mistakenly said "ten.")
Nói sai (v): to say something incorrectly (can be broader, including intentional or unintentional errors).
- Bạn đã nói sai tên của cô ấy. (You said her name wrong.)
Synonyms
- To misspeak: To say something incorrectly by accident.
- To make a slip of the tongue: An unintentional error in speech.
- To blunder verbally: To make a mistake while speaking.
Related Idioms
- "Lỡ lời": This is a related, more general phrase meaning "to let a word slip out," which can sometimes imply saying something regrettable or unintended.
- Anh ta đã lỡ lời trong lúc tranh cãi. (He let a word slip out during the argument.)