tật xấu
Definition
- Noun:
- A bad habit; a vice: A persistent, negative behavior or character flaw that is considered undesirable, harmful, or morally wrong. It implies a habitual action that is difficult to break.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Hút thuốc là một tật xấu khó bỏ. (Smoking is a bad habit that is hard to quit.)
- Anh ấy có tật xấu hay trễ hẹn. (He has the bad habit of being late for appointments.)
- Lười biếng và hay nói dối là những tật xấu. (Laziness and frequent lying are vices.)
Advanced Usage
- The term often carries a stronger moral judgment than the more neutral "thói quen xấu" (bad habit), sometimes approaching the meaning of a "vice" or "character defect."
- It can be used in a semi-fixed structure: "có tật xấu là + [behavior]" (to have the bad habit of + [behavior]).
- Nó có tật xấu là cắn móng tay khi lo lắng. (He has the bad habit of biting his nails when he's nervous.)
Variants and Related Words
- Thói quen xấu (n): A bad habit. This is a more general and slightly less judgmental synonym.
- Tật (n): Can mean a habit, a mannerism, or a physical defect/disability. The addition of "xấu" specifies it as a negative trait.
- Khuyết điểm (n): A shortcoming, weakness, or defect (can be of character or an object).
Synonyms
- Bad habit: A repeated behavior that is not beneficial.
- Vice: A practice or habit considered immoral or depraved.
- Fault: A character flaw or imperfection.
- Weakness: A lack of strength in character leading to poor habits.
Related Idioms
- "Người ta thường vịn vào tật xấu của người khác để quên tật xấu của mình." (People often lean on the bad habits of others to forget their own.) – A saying about hypocrisy and self-justification.