Definition

1. Verb:
   • To calculate, to weigh, to measure: To consider or compare the advantages and disadvantages, gains and losses, or the pros and cons of something meticulously, often with a connotation of being overly careful or petty in such calculations.
   • To be calculating, to be petty: To be excessively concerned with small details of gain and loss, often in a selfish or stingy manner.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Cô ấy hay so đo từng đồng một khi mua sắm. (She always calculates every single penny when shopping.)
  • Đừng so đo thiệt hơn trong tình bạn. (Don't be calculating about gains and losses in friendship.)
  • Anh ta so đo quá mức khiến mọi người khó chịu. (He is so petty that it makes everyone uncomfortable.)

Advanced Usage

• "so đo tính toán": to calculate meticulously, to be overly calculating.
  • Làm việc gì cũng phải có chừng mực, đừng so đo tính toán quá. (In everything you do, be moderate, don't be overly calculating.)
• "so đo hơn thiệt": to weigh the pros and cons, to be concerned with personal advantage.
  • Sống phải biết sẻ chia, không nên so đo hơn thiệt. (In life, one must know how to share and should not be concerned only with personal advantage.)

Variants and Related Words

• So đo so tính (idiomatic verb phrase): An intensified form meaning to be extremely calculating and petty.
  • Tính anh ấy hay so đo so tính. (He has a habit of being extremely calculating.)
• So kè (verb): To compare, to match (often in a competitive or bargaining context). While similar, "so kè" can be more neutral and less focused on petty calculation than "so đo".
  • Hai đội đang so kè từng điểm một. (The two teams are competing point by point.)

Synonyms

• Tính toán (verb): to calculate. (More neutral; "so đo" implies a negative, petty connotation.)
• Cân nhắc (verb): to consider, to deliberate. (More formal and neutral; lacks the negative connotation of pettiness.)
• Keo kiệt (adjective): stingy, miserly. (Focuses on unwillingness to spend money, while "so đo" is broader, covering any calculation of gain/loss.)

Related Phrases

• Chuyện bé xé ra to (idiom): To make a mountain out of a molehill. This idiom relates to the behavior of "so đo" as it involves exaggerating small issues, often through petty calculation.
• Tham lam (adjective): greedy. While "tham lam" is a stronger term for greed, "so đo" can be a behavioral manifestation of it.

Notes on Meaning

• The word "so đo" inherently carries a negative connotation. It criticizes the act of being overly meticulous in weighing trivial gains and losses, especially in personal relationships or non-commercial contexts. It suggests a lack of generosity, magnanimity, or a broader perspective.
• In a purely commercial or analytical context, neutral words like "phân tích" (to analyze), "đánh giá" (to evaluate), or "cân nhắc" (to consider) are more appropriate. Using "so đo" in such contexts would imply the calculation is inappropriately petty.

1. Compare the advantages and disadvantaes (of something)