xoà
Definition
- Verb:
- To fall loosely (of hair or similar things): To hang down or cascade in a loose, often untidy or flowing manner, typically referring to hair covering part of the face or forehead.
- To smooth over, to dismiss amicably: To resolve a conflict, disagreement, or awkward situation by letting it go, often with a smile or a gesture of forgiveness, implying no hard feelings remain.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Mái tóc dài xoà xuống vai cô ấy. (Her long hair fell loosely over her shoulders.)
- Cậu bé để tóc xoà trước trán. (The boy has hair falling over his forehead.)
- Thôi, chúng ta cười xoà cho xong chuyện đi. (Come on, let's laugh it off and be done with the matter.)
- Họ quyết định xoà đi mọi hiểu lầm. (They decided to smooth over all misunderstandings.)
Advanced Usage
- The concept of "xoà" in conflict resolution often carries a cultural nuance of maintaining social harmony by consciously choosing not to dwell on a minor offense.
Variants and Related Words
- Cười xoà (verb phrase): To laugh something off; to dismiss an awkward moment or slight conflict with a laugh, indicating forgiveness and a desire to move on.
- Sau lời xin lỗi, anh ấy cười xoà. (After the apology, he laughed it off.)
Synonyms
- To cascade: (for hair) to fall or flow loosely.
- To smooth over: to ease a disagreement.
- To dismiss: to decide not to think about or consider something seriously.
- To let slide: to choose to ignore a fault or offense.
Related Idioms
- While "xoà" itself is often used in the fixed phrase "cười xoà", the action embodies the idiomatic idea of "burying the hatchet" or "letting bygones be bygones" when used in a social context.