sủa càn
Definition
- 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."