điêu
Definition
- Adjective:
- Prone to lying, untruthful: Describes a person who frequently tells lies or is dishonest.
- Deceitful, cunning: Characterized by a tendency to use trickery or deception.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Đứa trẻ đó rất điêu, không bao giờ nói sự thật. (That child is very untruthful; they never tell the truth.)
- Anh ta có vẻ ngoài thật thà nhưng thực ra rất điêu. (He has an honest appearance but is actually very deceitful.)
- Đừng tin lời nó, nó điêu lắm. (Don't believe what it says; it's very prone to lying.)
Advanced Usage
- The word "điêu" is often used in informal, conversational contexts to describe a person's character trait. It carries a strong negative judgment.
Variants and Related Words
- Điêu ngoa (adj): Sly, cunning, and deceitful. This compound intensifies the meaning of dishonesty.
- Kẻ điêu ngoa ấy đã lừa được nhiều người. (That sly person has deceived many people.)
Synonyms
- Dishonest: Behaving in a deceitful or untruthful manner.
- Deceitful: Guilty of or involving deception.
- Untruthful: Not expressing or given to expressing the truth.
Related Idioms
- Khôn ba năm, dại một giờ: Literally "smart for three years, foolish for one hour." This proverb warns that a moment of foolishness can ruin a long-maintained reputation for cleverness or cunning, which can be related to the schemes of a deceitful ("điêu") person.
- Hắn tưởng mình khôn lắm, nhưng khôn ba năm, dại một giờ thôi. (He thought he was very cunning, but one moment of folly can undo years of cleverness.)
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Prone to lying, untruthful