xảo
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Artful, cunning, crafty: Describes a person who is clever in a deceptive or tricky way, often using intelligence to achieve goals through deceit or manipulation.
- Devious, sly: Refers to behavior that is clever but dishonest, not straightforward.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Anh ta là một người rất xảo. (He is a very artful/cunning person.)
- Đừng tin hắn, hắn quá xảo quyệt. (Don't trust him; he is too crafty/devious.)
- Lời nói xảo trá không bao giờ có thể che giấu sự thật mãi được. (Deceitful words can never hide the truth forever.)
Advanced Usage
- "xảo quyệt": This is a common compound meaning "cunning," "crafty," or "devious." It intensifies the negative connotation of cleverness used for trickery.
- Âm mưu đó thật xảo quyệt. (That scheme is truly cunning.)
- "xảo trá": Another common compound meaning "deceitful" or "fraudulent," emphasizing dishonesty.
- Hành vi xảo trá của hắn đã bị phát hiện. (His deceitful behavior was discovered.)
Variants and Related Words
- Xảo ngôn (n): Deceitful words, sophistry. (Note: This is a compound term listed separately as per instruction.)
- Xảo thuật (n): Trickery, artifice. (Note: This is a compound term listed separately as per instruction.)
- Mưu mẹo (n): Stratagem, trick – a near synonym focusing on scheming.
- Gian xảo (adj): Treacherous and crafty – a synonym with a strong negative connotation.
Synonyms
- Gian manh: Treacherous, perfidious.
- Quỷ quyệt: Devilishly cunning, sly.
- Láu cá: Sly, shrewd (can be slightly less formal and sometimes used for cleverness that is not always negative, but context matters).
Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)
(Note: As 'xảo' is primarily an adjective, it does not form phrasal verbs in the same way verbs do. The related expressions are typically adjective-noun compounds.)
Related Idioms
- "Khôn ngoan ba mươi, xảo quyệt bốn mươi": A saying implying that excessive cunning ("xảo quyệt") is worse than mere cleverness ("khôn ngoan").
- "Mặt người dạ xảo": Literally "a human face but a crafty heart," meaning someone who appears kind but is inwardly deceitful.