Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Unfriendly in social interactions; unsociable; difficult to get along with: Describes a person who behaves poorly in social relationships, is not cooperative, or has a disagreeable manner when interacting with others.
   • Mean-spirited; not playing fair: Often used to describe someone who acts in a selfish, spiteful, or underhanded way within a group or friendship, violating norms of fair and kind behavior.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Cậu ấy rất xấu chơi, chẳng bao giờ chia sẻ đồ chơi với ai. (He is very unsociable, never sharing toys with anyone.)
  • Đừng có xấu chơi, thua thì phải chấp nhận đi. (Don't be a sore loser; you have to accept defeat.)
  • Tính nó xấu chơi nên chẳng ai muốn kết bạn. (He's so difficult to get along with that nobody wants to be friends.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is primarily used in informal, colloquial contexts to critique character within social or group dynamics, especially among peers, friends, or teammates.
• It often implies a judgment on someone's character as being untrustworthy or unpleasant within the context of cooperation or camaraderie.

Variants and Related Words

• Chơi xấu (verb phrase): To play dirty; to act in a mean or underhanded way.
  • Hắn chơi xấu bằng cách giấu tài liệu. (He played dirty by hiding the documents.)

Synonyms

• Unsociable: Not enjoying or engaging in social interaction.
• Mean-spirited: Having a character motivated by pettiness or malice.
• A sore loser: Someone who behaves badly after losing a game or contest.
• Difficult: Hard to deal with or get along with.

Related Idioms

• While "xấu chơi" itself is an adjective phrase, it is conceptually related to the idea of "chơi không đẹp" (to play/behave in an unbecoming or unfair way).
  • Thắng thua là chuyện thường, nhưng chơi không đẹp thì không nên. (Winning and losing is normal, but playing unfairly is not right.)