kính nhi viễn chi

Vietnamese

Etymology

Sino-Vietnamese word from 敬而遠之

Pronunciation

  • (Hà Nội) IPA(key): [kïŋ˧˦ ɲi˧˧ viən˦ˀ˥ t͡ɕi˧˧]
  • (Huế) IPA(key): [kɨn˦˧˥ ɲɪj˧˧ viəŋ˧˨ t͡ɕɪj˧˧]
  • (Saigon) IPA(key): [kɨn˦˥ ɲɪj˧˧ viəŋ˨˩˦ cɪj˧˧] ~ [kɨn˦˥ ɲɪj˧˧ jiəŋ˨˩˦ cɪj˧˧]

Idiom

kính nhi viễn chi

  1. (figurative, often humorous) to respect yet keep one's distance; to respectfully distance oneself
    • 2016, Trà Xanh, “Phụ Nữ Thông Minh Khó Tìm Chồng? [Is It Hard for Smart Women to Find Husbands?]”, in Dân Trí [Popular Intellect]:
      Bản lĩnh ở người phụ nữ thông minh nhiều khi khiến đàn ông... sợ, chỉ biết kính nhi viễn chi mà chẳng dám đến gần.
      A smart woman's fortitude on many occasions make men... afraid, so much they only know to just respectfully keep their distance and dare not approach.
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