tháu cáy
Definition
Adjective (slang):
- Bluffing / deceptive: Describes a person or action that is deceitful, especially by making false claims or boasts to mislead others, often in a game or competitive situation.
- Cheating / swindling: Refers to acting in a fraudulent or trickster-like manner to gain an unfair advantage.
Verb (slang):
- To bluff: To deceive someone by pretending to have a stronger position, better cards, or more knowledge than one actually possesses.
- To cheat / to swindle: To act dishonestly or use trickery to achieve a goal.
Usage Examples
Adjective:
- Lời nói của hắn nghe rất tháu cáy. (His words sound very deceptive/bluffy.)
- Đó là một hành động tháu cáy. (That was a cheating/swindling action.)
Verb:
- Nó đang tháu cáy để lừa đối thủ. (He is bluffing to deceive his opponent.)
- Không được tháu cáy trong khi chơi bài. (Don't cheat while playing cards.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is considered vulgar or very informal and is primarily used in casual speech, often in contexts like gambling, games, or street talk to call out dishonesty.
Variants and Related Words
- Lừa đảo (v): to scam, to defraud. A more formal term for fraudulent deception.
- Bịp bợm (adj/v): deceitful, to swindle. A close synonym in informal registers.
Synonyms
- Bluff: to pretend or deceive in order to gain an advantage.
- Cheat: to act dishonestly to gain an unfair benefit.
- Swindle: to use deception to deprive someone of money or property.
Related Idioms
- Nói tháu cáy: to talk deceptively / to talk bluff.
- Đừng tin anh ta, anh ta chỉ đang nói tháu cáy thôi. (Don't believe him, he's just talking bluff.)