Definition

1. Noun:
   • Gossip, idle talk: "đôi mách" refers to the act of engaging in or spreading gossip, rumors, or trivial talk, often about other people's private affairs.
   • Tale-bearing: It can also imply the act of telling tales or reporting trivial matters, often in a secretive or mischievous manner.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Cô ấy không thích chuyện đôi mách. (She does not like gossip.)
  • Những lời đôi mách vô căn cứ đó có thể làm tổn thương người khác. (Those baseless rumors can hurt others.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is most commonly used in the fixed phrase "ngồi lê đôi mách". This idiom describes the action of sitting around and gossiping idly, often implying a waste of time.
  • Bà ta suốt ngày chỉ ngồi lê đôi mách với hàng xóm. (She spends all day just gossiping idly with the neighbors.)

Variants and Related Words

• Mách lẻo (verb/noun): To tell tales, to tattle; tale-telling. This is a close synonym often used interchangeably with "đôi mách" in the context of revealing secrets or gossiping.
  • Đứa trẻ hay mách lẻo bạn bè với cô giáo. (The child often tells tales on friends to the teacher.)
• Ngồi lê (verb phrase): To sit around idly. Often paired with "đôi mách" to form the full idiom.

Synonyms

• Chuyện ngồi lê: Idle chatter.
• Chuyện tầm phào: Trivial talk, nonsense.
• Tin đồn: Rumor.

Related Idioms

• Ngồi lê đôi mách: As mentioned, this is the primary idiom. It criticizes the act of wasting time on gossip.
  • Anh ta bị mất việc vì tội ngồi lê đôi mách trong giờ làm. (He lost his job for the offense of gossiping idly during work hours.)

1. Gossip
   • Ngồi lê đôi mách
     To gossip away one's time