Definition

1. Verb:
   • To pester / to bother persistently: The primary meaning of "ám quẻ" is to annoy, disturb, or trouble someone with repeated, unwanted attention over a period of time.
   • To haunt / to obsess: It can describe a thought, worry, or feeling that persistently troubles someone's mind, similar to a preoccupation.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Đứa trẻ cứ ám quẻ tôi đòi kẹo. (The child kept pestering me for candy.)
  • Nỗi lo về khoản nợ cứ ám quẻ anh ấy. (The worry about the debt kept haunting him.)
  • Cô ấy bị ám quẻ bởi những ký ức buồn. (She was troubled by sad memories.)

Advanced Usage

• The term often implies a sense of being followed or clung to by an annoyance, much like a shadow. It is more colloquial and carries a stronger connotation of persistent, nagging disturbance than the simpler verb "làm phiền" (to bother).

Variants and Related Words

• Ám ảnh (v): to obsess, to haunt. This is a more common and standard term for a persistent, often psychological, preoccupation.
  • Cảm giác tội lỗi ám ảnh cô. (A feeling of guilt haunted her.)

Synonyms

• Pester: to trouble or annoy someone with frequent or persistent requests or interruptions.
• Haunt: to cause repeated worry or distress.
• Badger: to repeatedly and annoyingly ask someone for something or to do something.

Related Idioms

• While "ám quẻ" itself is idiomatic, a related expression is "theo như hình với bóng" (to follow like a shadow), which captures the persistent, clinging nature of the action described by "ám quẻ".