tốt nói
Definition
- Adjective:
- Good at talking but not at doing: Describes a person who speaks eloquently, persuasively, or makes fine promises but rarely follows through with actions or whose actions do not match their words. It implies a lack of sincerity or reliability.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Đừng tin anh ta, anh ta chỉ tốt nói thôi. (Don't believe him; he's all talk.)
- Cô ấy rất tốt nói nhưng chẳng bao giờ giữ lời hứa. (She is very good at talking but never keeps her promises.)
- Một người tốt nói thường không phải là người tốt làm. (A person who is good at talking is often not a person who is good at doing.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is often used in a critical or dismissive manner to highlight hypocrisy or unreliability. It can function similarly to a noun phrase when describing a person's characteristic trait.
- Tính tốt nói của anh ấy khiến mọi người mất lòng tin. (His characteristic of being all talk makes people lose trust.)
Variants and Related Words
- Nói hay làm dở: (idiomatic phrase) To speak well but perform poorly.
- Hắn ta thuộc kiểu nói hay làm dở. (He is the type who speaks well but performs poorly.)
Synonyms
- All talk (and no action): A person who talks a lot but does little.
- A smooth talker: Someone who speaks persuasively but often deceptively.
- A beau parleur (from French): A fine or eloquent speaker, often with a negative connotation of insincerity.
Related Idioms
- Nói như rồng leo, làm như mèo mửa: (To speak like a climbing dragon, to work like a vomiting cat) A vivid idiom emphasizing a vast disparity between grandiose speech and pitiful action.
- Hứa hẹn thì đầy mà làm thì chẳng được việc gì, đúng là nói như rồng leo, làm như mèo mửa. (Full of promises but accomplishes nothing, truly a case of speaking like a dragon but working like a cat.)