Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Poor, bad, mediocre: Describes something or someone that is of low quality, inferior, or significantly below the required standard in terms of skill, ability, or result.
   • Mean, base, low: Describes a bad or contemptible character or behavior in social interactions.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Anh ấy là một thợ mộc tồi. (He is a poor carpenter.)
  • Chất lượng sản phẩm này thật tồi. (The quality of this product is really bad.)
  • Đừng đối xử tồi với đồng nghiệp của bạn. (Don't treat your colleagues badly.)
  • Hắn ta là một kẻ tồi! (He is a mean person!)

Advanced Usage

• "tồi tệ": This is a common compound adjective meaning "terrible," "awful," or "very bad." It intensifies the meaning of "tồi."
  • Thời tiết hôm nay thật tồi tệ. (The weather today is terrible.)
• "đồ tồi": A phrase used as an insult, meaning "you contemptible person!" or "you scoundrel!"
  • Đồ tồi! Sao mày dám làm thế? (You scoundrel! How dare you do that?)

Variants and Related Words

• Tồi tàn (adj): Dilapidated, ruined, in a state of decay (often for objects or conditions).
  • Căn nhà tồi tàn. (A dilapidated house.)
• Tệ (adj): Bad, poor. A close synonym, often interchangeable with "tồi" in some contexts regarding quality or character.
  • Dịch vụ ở đây rất tệ. (The service here is very bad.)

Synonyms

• Kém (adj): Inferior, poor (in quality or ability).
• Xấu (adj): Bad, ugly. Can refer to appearance, quality, or character.
• Dở (adj): Bad, not good (often used for food, performance, or situations).

Related Phrases

• Làm ăn tồi: To do business poorly or dishonestly.
  • Công ty đó làm ăn tồi nên đã phá sản. (That company did business poorly so it went bankrupt.)
• Nói tồi: To speak badly (of someone) or to speak in a mean way.
  • Đừng nói tồi về người khác sau lưng họ. (Don't speak badly about others behind their backs.)

Related Idioms

• "Người tồi hay khoe khoang, của tồi hay kêu lạc": A proverb meaning "Inferior people often boast, inferior goods often rattle." It criticizes those who are incompetent but like to show off.
• "Tốt gỗ hơn tốt nước sơn, xấu người đẹp nết còn hơn đẹp người": While not containing "tồi," this proverb contrasts inner quality ("đẹp nết" - good character) with outer appearance, relating to the concept of judging value beyond superficial "tồi" or "tốt" (good).

adj

1. poor, bad, mediocre