rào trước đón sau
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
rào trước đón sau means to be on the defensive.
Meanings of rào trước đón sau in English
Verb
- idiomatic to cleverly point out something infelicitous in advance so that the listener will be understanding when it occurs and find it difficult to fault the speaker; to be careful with one's words; to be on the defensive
Etymology
rào (“to fence in”) + trước (“beforehand”) + đón (“to meet”) + sau (“afterward”)
Frequently asked questions
What does rào trước đón sau mean in English?
rào trước đón sau (verb) means "to be on the defensive".
How do you pronounce rào trước đón sau?
IPA: Hanoi [zaːw˨˩ t͡ɕɨək̚˧˦ ʔɗɔn˧˦ saw˧˧]; Saigon [ɹaːw˨˩ ʈɨək̚˦˥ ʔɗɔŋ˦˥ ʂa(ː)w˧˧]. Tones: rào — falling tone (huyền), trước — rising tone (sắc), đón — rising tone (sắc), sau — level tone (ngang).