ranh ma
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Sly; Artful: Describes a person, especially a child, who is clever in a deceitful or mischievous way, often using trickery to get what they want or to avoid trouble.
- Cunning; Shrewd: Suggests a sharp, practical intelligence that is used in a clever, sometimes underhanded, manner.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Đứa trẻ đó rất ranh ma. (That child is very sly.)
- Nó có vẻ ngoài thật thà nhưng thực ra rất ranh ma. (He looks honest but is actually quite artful.)
- Một con mèo ranh ma. (A cunning cat.)
Advanced Usage
- The word often carries a slightly negative or disapproving connotation, implying a lack of honesty or straightforwardness. However, in some contexts, it can express a degree of amused admiration for cleverness.
Variants and Related Words
Ranh mãnh (adj): A variant with a similar meaning, often emphasizing cleverness and sharp-wittedness.
- Tên trộm tỏ ra rất ranh mãnh. (The thief proved to be very cunning.)
Mưu mẹo (n): Refers to tricks or schemes, often used by someone who is ranh ma.
- Hắn đầy mưu mẹo. (He is full of tricks.)
Synonyms
- Sly: Clever at deceiving people.
- Cunning: Skilled at achieving one's ends by deceit.
- Artful: Clever or skillful, typically in a crafty or cunning way.
- Shrewd: Having or showing sharp powers of judgment; astute, can be less negative than .
Related Idioms
Ranh ma vặt: Describes someone who is sly in small, petty matters.
- Nó chỉ ranh ma vặt thôi, chẳng làm nên trò trống gì. (He's only artful in trivial things, not amounting to anything significant.)
Khôn lỏi: A closely related term meaning street-smart or cunning in a practical, often unscrupulous, way.
- Thương trường cần sự khôn lỏi. (The business world requires street smarts.)