Definition

1. Verb:
   • To bark without reason / to bark senselessly: Refers to a dog barking excessively, incessantly, or at nothing in particular. It implies a nuisance caused by pointless noise.
   • To speak nonsense / to talk irresponsibly: Used figuratively and derogatorily to describe a person who talks foolishly, makes unfounded accusations, or complains incessantly without valid cause.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Con chó hàng xóm suốt ngày sủa càn. (The neighbor's dog barks senselessly all day.)
  • Đừng nghe hắn, hắn chỉ đang sủa càn thôi. (Don't listen to him; he's just talking nonsense.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase is almost always used in a critical or pejorative sense to express annoyance at either meaningless noise or thoughtless speech.

Variants and Related Words

• Sủa (v): to bark.

  • Con chó sủa khi thấy người lạ. (The dog barks when it sees a stranger.)

• Nói càn (v): to talk recklessly or nonsensically. This is a direct synonym for the figurative use of "sủa càn" when applied to humans.

  • Anh ta nói càn mà không biết sự thật. (He talks recklessly without knowing the truth.)

Synonyms

• To yap: to bark sharply and persistently (for dogs).
• To rant: to speak or shout at length in an angry, impassioned, and often senseless way (for people).
• To talk rubbish: to speak foolishly or illogically.

Related Idioms

• While "sủa càn" itself is an idiomatic phrase, it is related to the concept of:
  • Chó sủa là chó không cắn: Literally "a barking dog doesn't bite," meaning someone who makes loud threats is unlikely to act. "Sủa càn" describes the nature of the empty, threatening, or annoying "bark."