Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Untruthful, false, mendacious: Describes a person, statement, or behavior that is intentionally deceptive or not in accordance with the truth.
   • Fallacious, deceitful: Refers to something that is misleading or intended to deceive.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Lời khai của hắn hoàn toàn sai ngoa. (His testimony was completely untruthful.)
  • Đừng tin những lời sai ngoa ấy. (Don't believe those false words.)
  • Con người sai ngoa đó đã bị lật tẩy. (That mendacious person has been exposed.)

Advanced Usage

• "ăn nói sai ngoa": This is a common fixed collocation meaning "to speak untruthfully" or "to be deceitful in speech."
  • Anh ta có thói quen ăn nói sai ngoa. (He has a habit of speaking untruthfully.)

Variants and Related Words

• Sai (adj): Wrong, incorrect. (Note: While "sai" means generally "incorrect," "sai ngoa" specifically implies a moral fault of deception.)
• Dối trá (adj): Deceitful, fraudulent. (A stronger, more direct synonym for dishonesty.)
• Gian dối (adj): Deceitful, cheating.

Synonyms

• Không thật: Not true.
• Giả dối: Hypocritical, false.
• Bịa đặt: Fabricated, made-up.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "Lời nói sai ngoa": Untruthful words, deceitful speech.
  • Lời nói sai ngoa chẳng mang lại lợi ích gì. (Deceitful speech brings no benefit.)
• "Hành vi sai ngoa": Deceitful behavior.
  • Hành vi sai ngoa của nó khiến mọi người mất lòng tin. (Its deceitful behavior made everyone lose trust.)

adj

1. untruthful
   • ăn nói sai ngoa
     to be untruthful in one's words