à này
Definition
- Interjection:
- Hey, listen / Say, ...: A common, informal interjection used to get someone's attention, often at the beginning of a sentence when you are about to ask a question, share a thought, or introduce a new topic in a conversation.
Usage Examples
- Interjection:
- À này, bạn có biết mấy giờ rồi không? (Hey, do you know what time it is?)
- À này, tôi vừa mới nhớ ra một chuyện. (Say, I just remembered something.)
- À này, cái áo của bạn đẹp quá! (Hey, your shirt is so nice!)
Advanced Usage
- "À này" as a discourse marker: It can function to signal a shift in the speaker's focus or to preface a piece of information that has just come to mind, similar to "Oh, by the way" or "Oh, I should mention."
- À này, mai chúng ta họp lúc mấy giờ nhỉ? (Oh, by the way, what time is our meeting tomorrow?)
Variants and Related Words
À (interj): An interjection expressing realization, understanding, or a sudden thought. "À này" builds upon this by adding the attention-getting "này."
- À, tôi hiểu rồi. (Ah, I understand now.)
Này (interj): An interjection used directly to call someone's attention, similar to "hey." When combined with "à," it softens the call and often indicates a following statement or question.
- Này, lại đây một chút. (Hey, come here for a second.)
Synonyms
- Hey: used to call attention.
- Say: used to introduce a remark or question.
- Oh, by the way: used to introduce a related topic.
Related Idioms
- À này à nọ: A reduplicative phrase emphasizing casual, rambling, or miscellaneous chatter. It describes talking about this and that, or bringing up various topics.
- Cô ấy cứ à này à nọ cả buổi. (She just chattered on about this and that all afternoon.)