Definition

1. Adjective/Adverbial Phrase:
   • Excessive in force or amount due to a misjudged action: Describes an action performed with more strength, intensity, or quantity than intended, typically resulting from a momentary lapse in control or judgment, often by hand.
   • To go overboard (with a physical action): To inadvertently apply too much force or add too much of something while doing a manual task.

Usage Examples

• Adjective/Adverbial Phrase:
  • Anh ấy đánh con quá tay. (He hit his child too hard.)
  • Cô ấy nêm gia vị quá tay. (She seasoned the food too heavily.)
  • Tôi đẩy cánh cửa quá tay. (I pushed the door too forcefully.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase often implies a lack of intention or an accident caused by carelessness or a sudden loss of fine motor control. It is frequently used in contexts of cooking, physical discipline, or manual tasks.
• It can describe non-physical actions metaphorically, implying an excessive investment of resources (e.g., money, effort) in a careless way, though this is an extended, colloquial use.

Variants and Related Words

• Lỡ tay (v): to do something by accidental hand motion. This is a close synonym but often emphasizes pure accident over the resulting excess.
  • Tôi lỡ tay làm vỡ ly. (I accidentally broke the glass.)

Synonyms

• Overdo it: to do something to an excessive degree.
• Heavy-handed: using too much force or lacking subtlety.
• Overzealous: showing too much enthusiasm, leading to excess.

Related Idioms

• Quá chân: to overstep, to go too far (literally "excessive foot"). This idiom shares the structure of "quá + [body part]" to indicate excess in action.
  • Anh ta đùa quá chân rồi. (His joking has gone too far.)