xua tay
Definition
- Verb phrase:
- To wave one's hand (in dismissal/refusal): The primary meaning of "xua tay" is the physical gesture of waving a hand, typically back and forth, to signal refusal, rejection, dismissal, or to indicate that something is not wanted or not necessary.
- To brush off / To dismiss: It conveys the act of dismissing an offer, a suggestion, a compliment, or a concern, often in a gentle or polite manner.
Usage Examples
- Verb phrase:
- Khi tôi đề nghị trả tiền, bà ấy chỉ xua tay. (When I offered to pay, she just waved her hand.)
- "Không, không cần đâu," anh ấy nói và xua tay. ("No, it's not necessary," he said, waving his hand.)
- Cô ấy xua tay từ chối lời khen. (She waved her hand to dismiss the compliment.)
Advanced Usage
- The gesture is often accompanied by verbal expressions like "không", "thôi", "đừng" (no, stop, don't) to strengthen the meaning of refusal.
- It can imply modesty, as when dismissing praise, or impatience, as when brushing away a persistent request.
Variants and Related Words
- Phủi tay (v): Literally to brush off one's hands; often used figuratively to mean to wash one's hands of a matter or deny responsibility.
- Anh ta phủi tay không nhận trách nhiệm. (He washed his hands of the responsibility.)
Synonyms
- To wave away: To dismiss with a hand gesture.
- To brush aside: To refuse to consider something seriously.
- To dismiss (with a gesture): To indicate rejection non-verbally.
Related Idioms
- Xua đuổi: To shoo away, to chase off (often used for animals or pests).
- Bà lão xua đuổi đàn gà. (The old woman shooed away the chickens.)
- While "xua tay" is specific to the hand gesture for refusal, "xua đuổi" involves a broader action of driving something away.