thủ xảo
Definition
Noun:
- Manual dexterity; sleight of hand: Skill and adroitness in using one's hands, often for precise or delicate tasks. It implies cleverness and finesse in manual manipulation.
Noun (figurative usage):
- A cunning trick; a crafty maneuver: A clever, deceptive, or underhanded technique used to achieve an objective, often through trickery or deceit.
Usage Examples
Noun (Manual Skill):
- Người ảo thuật đó có thủ xảo phi thường. (That magician has extraordinary sleight of hand.)
- Công việc chế tác đồng hồ đòi hỏi thủ xảo cao. (Watchmaking requires high manual dexterity.)
Noun (Cunning Trick):
- Hắn ta dùng đủ mọi thủ xảo để giành lợi thế. (He used every cunning trick to gain an advantage.)
- Đó chỉ là một thủ xảo chính trị. (That is merely a political maneuver.)
Advanced Usage
- The word often carries a slightly negative or suspicious connotation when referring to tricks or schemes, suggesting cleverness bordering on dishonesty.
Variants and Related Words
- Thủ đoạn (n): A scheme, tactic, or stratagem (typically with a stronger negative connotation of malice or deceit).
- Họ dùng nhiều thủ đoạn để hạ đối thủ. (They used many schemes to bring down their rival.)
Synonyms
- Manual dexterity: Skill in using the hands.
- Sleight of hand: Manual skill, especially in magic or deception.
- Cunning: Skill in achieving one's ends by deceit.
- Artifice: A clever trick or cunning device.
Related Idioms
- While "thủ xảo" itself is not commonly part of a fixed idiom, it is conceptually related to phrases describing trickery, such as "dùng mưu kế" (to use schemes) or "lừa bịp" (to swindle/deceive).