nói thách

Người bán hàng nói thách giá của chiếc áo.

Definition

1. Verb (intransitive):
   • To quote an exorbitantly high initial price (as a seller): The primary meaning of "nói thách" is for a seller, especially in informal bargaining situations like markets, to deliberately state an opening price that is much higher than the item's actual worth or the price they are willing to accept. This is a negotiation tactic with the expectation that the buyer will counter-offer, and the final price will still be favorable to the seller.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Người bán hàng ở chợ thường nói thách lên gấp đôi. (Market vendors often quote an initial price that is double.)
  • Đừng mua ngay khi họ nói thách, hãy mặc cả. (Don't buy immediately when they quote high; you should bargain.)
  • Giá chiếc áo này là 200 nghìn, nhưng cô ấy nói thách lên 500 nghìn. (This shirt's price is 200 thousand, but she quoted 500 thousand to start.)

Advanced Usage

• The practice of "nói thách" is deeply embedded in traditional market culture in Vietnam. It is an expected part of the transaction ritual, and not bargaining after a seller "nói thách" can be seen as naive.
• It implies a degree of dishonesty or sharp practice from the seller's perspective, but it is also a socially recognized game of negotiation.

Variants and Related Words

• Thách (v): While less common alone, it carries the core idea of stating an excessively high price or an impossible condition.
• Mặc cả (v): to bargain, to haggle. This is the buyer's corresponding action to "nói thách".
• Hớ (n): The state of overpaying because one did not bargain. A seller "nói thách" hoping the buyer will pay "hớ".

Synonyms

• To overquote: to state a price higher than the standard or intended selling price.
• To ask an exorbitant price: to demand a price that is unreasonably high.

Related Idioms/Phrases

• Nói thách để mặc cả: A common explanation of the tactic, meaning "to quote high in order to have room to bargain."
  • Việc nói thách để mặc cả là chuyện bình thường ở chợ truyền thống. (Quoting high to have room to bargain is normal in traditional markets.)