Definition

1. Verb:

   • To snack: The primary meaning of "ăn vặt" is to eat small amounts of food, often casually or between main meals.

2. Noun:

   • Snacking: The act or habit of eating snacks.
   • Snack food: Refers to the types of food typically consumed as snacks.

Usage Examples

• Verb:

  • Trẻ con thích ăn vặt. (Children like to snack.)
  • Cô ấy đang ăn vặt trước bữa tối. (She is snacking before dinner.)

• Noun:

  • Ăn vặt nhiều không tốt cho sức khỏe. (Snacking a lot is not good for your health.)
  • Phố này nổi tiếng với các món ăn vặt. (This street is famous for its snack foods.)

Advanced Usage

• The term often implies informal, light eating that is not part of a structured meal. It can carry a slightly negative connotation when referring to unhealthy eating habits.

Variants and Related Words

• Đồ ăn vặt (n): Snacks, snack food.
  • Tôi mua một ít đồ ăn vặt. (I bought some snacks.)

Synonyms

• To nibble: To eat small bites of food.
• To graze: To eat food at irregular intervals, similar to casual snacking.

Related Idioms

• Ăn vặt vãnh: To snack incessantly or frivolously, often implying a lack of substance or purpose.
  • Suốt ngày chỉ biết ăn vặt vãnh. (All day long, all they do is snack pointlessly.)