tòi
Definition
- Verb:
- To emerge or come out with difficulty or reluctance: Refers to something appearing, being produced, or being revealed after effort, pressure, or hesitation. It often implies the subject is unwilling or that the action is labored.
- To disburse or pay out reluctantly: Used when someone gives money or resources grudgingly or only after persistent demand.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Góc chăn tòi ra ngoài màn. (The corner of the blanket emerged from outside the mosquito net.)
- Từ dưới ao tòi lên. (It emerged with difficulty from the pond.)
- Tôi nói mãi nó mới tòi ra một ít tiền. (I talked for a long time before he reluctantly forked over a little money.)
- Hỏi mãi nó mới tòi ra một vài chi tiết. (After being questioned persistently, he finally revealed a few details.)
Advanced Usage
- The verb "tòi" is almost always used with a particle like "ra" (out) to form the phrasal verb "tòi ra," meaning "to bring out" or "to reveal" reluctantly.
- It carries a connotation of something being extracted with difficulty from a confined, hidden, or withheld state.
Variants and Related Words
- Lòi ra (v): To protrude, to stick out. This is a close synonym but more neutral, often describing physical protrusion without the same strong connotation of reluctance.
- Cái đinh lòi ra khỏi tường. (The nail is sticking out of the wall.)
Synonyms
- Emerge (reluctantly): To come out into view, especially with effort.
- Fork over: To hand over money, especially unwillingly (slang).
- Disclose (grudgingly): To reveal information unwillingly.
Related Idioms
- Tòi ruột, tòi gan: An idiom expressing extreme anger or frustration, literally suggesting one's intestines or liver are being forced out.
- Nghe tin đó tôi tức đến tòi ruột tòi gan. (Hearing that news made me furious enough to burst my guts.)
Phrasal Verbs
- Tòi ra: The primary and most common construction. Means to bring out, reveal, or produce reluctantly.
- Bắt nó phải tòi ra sự thật. (Force him to cough up the truth.)