Definition

1. Verb:
   • To pinch (lightly), to tweak: To use the thumb and a finger (usually the index finger) to squeeze a small amount of skin or flesh, often gently or playfully. This is a dialectal term, commonly understood as equivalent to the standard Vietnamese word "véo".

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Đừng bẹo má em bé! (Don't pinch the baby's cheek!)
  • Anh ấy thích bẹo tay tôi khi đùa. (He likes to tweak my hand when joking around.)
  • Bà ngoại hay bẹo má tôi mỗi lần thăm. (My grandmother often pinches my cheek every time she visits.)

Advanced Usage

• The action of "bẹo" is typically light and not intended to cause pain. It is often an affectionate or playful gesture, commonly directed at children's cheeks.
• It can sometimes be used figuratively to mean "to tease" or "to provoke playfully" in a very specific, physical sense.

Variants and Related Words

• Véo (verb): The more standard, non-dialectal term for "to pinch".
• Nhéo (verb): Another synonym for "to pinch", sometimes implying a slightly sharper or more sudden action.

Synonyms

• Pinch (verb): To squeeze tightly between the finger and thumb.
• Tweak (verb): To twist or pull with a small, sharp movement.
• Nip (verb): To pinch or squeeze sharply (can be more painful).

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• : To pinch someone's cheek. This is the most common collocation.
  • Cô giáo dịu dàng bẹo má học sinh. (The teacher gently pinched the student's cheek.)

Related Idioms

• While "bẹo" itself is not commonly found in idioms, the concept is related to the idiom "Véo mũi không thấy đau" (To pinch one's nose and not feel the pain), which describes someone who is completely insensitive or shameless.

1. (địa phương) như véo Pinch