đánh trống lảng

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The Vietnamese phrase "đánh trống lảng" literally translates to "hit the drum to distract," but it is used to describe the act of evading an embarrassing question or changing the subject to avoid answering directly. Here’s a breakdown to help you understand it better:

Meaning:

• Primary Meaning: To avoid answering an uncomfortable or embarrassing question by diverting attention to another topic.
• Context: Often used in conversations where someone feels pressured or uncomfortable with the topic being discussed.

Usage Instructions:

• Use "đánh trống lảng" when you want to describe a situation where someone is dodging a question or trying to change the subject to something less awkward.
• It can be used in both formal and informal contexts, but it’s often more common in casual conversations.

Example:

1. Simple Example:
   • A: "Why did you fail the exam?"
   • B: "Well, have you seen the new café that opened downtown? It's really nice!"
   • (In this case, B is "đánh trống lảng" to avoid answering the question about the exam.)

Advanced Usage:

• You can use "đánh trống lảng" when discussing political interviews or press conferences, where politicians often avoid difficult questions by shifting the conversation to a different topic.
• It can also be used in literary contexts to describe a character’s behavior in a story when they are trying to avoid a confrontation.

Word Variants:

• There are no direct variants of "đánh trống lảng," but you can combine it with other phrases to specify the context, such as "đánh trống lảng trong cuộc họp" (distracting in a meeting).

Different Meanings:

• The phrase is primarily used in the context of conversation and does not have multiple meanings. However, it can also imply a lack of honesty or transparency if someone is constantly "đánh trống lảng."

Synonyms:

• Lảng tránh: To avoid or evade.
• Tránh né: To dodge or sidestep.
• Đổi đề tài: To change the topic.

Academic

1. Evade answering an embarrassing question by changing topics