vẽ chuyện
Definition
- Verb phrase:
- To fabricate a story / to make up a story: To invent or concoct a false or exaggerated narrative, often to deceive, entertain, or complicate a simple situation.
- To complicate matters unnecessarily: To add invented details or problems to a situation that is otherwise straightforward, making it more complex or troublesome.
Usage Examples
- Verb phrase:
- Đừng có vẽ chuyện ra nữa, mọi việc rất đơn giản. (Don't make up stories anymore; everything is very simple.)
- Cô ấy thích vẽ chuyện để thu hút sự chú ý. (She likes to fabricate stories to attract attention.)
- Anh đừng vẽ chuyện, chúng ta chỉ cần giải quyết vấn đề cơ bản. (Don't complicate matters; we just need to solve the basic problem.)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase often carries a negative connotation, implying criticism of someone for being dishonest, dramatic, or creating unnecessary trouble.
- It can be used in both serious contexts (e.g., lying) and lighter, colloquial contexts (e.g., exaggerating for effect).
Variants and Related Words
- Bịa chuyện (v): to fabricate a story, to concoct a lie. This is a close synonym, often with a stronger emphasis on outright falsehood.
- Nó hoàn toàn bịa chuyện. (He completely fabricated the story.)
Synonyms
- To fabricate: to invent or concoct, typically with deceitful intent.
- To make up a story: to create a false account.
- To complicate unnecessarily: to make something more intricate than needed.
Related Idioms
- Vẽ rắn thêm chân: Literally "to draw legs on a snake"; meaning to add unnecessary details, to gild the lily, or to overcomplicate something. This idiom shares the core idea of adding superfluous complexity.
- Anh đang vẽ rắn thêm chân cho kế hoạch đấy. (You're adding legs to a snake with that plan / overcomplicating the plan.)