Definition

1. Verb phrase:
   • To pay lip service: To express agreement, support, or loyalty verbally without acting on it or meaning it sincerely. It implies a superficial or insincere commitment.

Usage Examples

• Verb phrase:
  • Anh ta chỉ biết đá đưa, chẳng bao giờ giúp đỡ thật sự. (He only knows how to pay lip service, never offering real help.)
  • Đừng tin những lời đá đưa của họ. (Don't believe their lip service.)
  • Họ đá đưa hứa hẹn nhưng không có hành động cụ thể. (They paid lip service with promises but had no concrete actions.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase often carries a critical or negative connotation, highlighting hypocrisy or a lack of genuine intent. It is frequently used in political, social, or professional contexts to describe empty promises or false allegiance.

Variants and Related Words

• Nói suông (v): to make empty talk; to speak without acting.

  • Lời hứa nói suông chẳng có giá trị. (An empty spoken promise holds no value.)

• Hứa hão (v): to make a false or vain promise.

  • Đó chỉ là hứa hão để xoa dịu dư luận. (That was just a false promise to placate public opinion.)

Synonyms

• To give empty promises: To make assurances one does not intend to keep.
• To talk the talk but not walk the walk: To speak convincingly about something without corresponding action.
• To be insincere: Not to be genuine or honest in expression.

Related Idioms

• Đầu môi chót lưỡi: (On the tip of the tongue/lips) Describing words that are spoken easily but are shallow or not backed by feeling or action, closely related to the concept of "đá đưa."
  • Lời yêu thương chỉ đầu môi chót lưỡi. (Words of love are just on the lips.)

1. Pay lip servive
   • Chỉ đá đưa đầu lưỡi
     To pay only lip service