Definition

1. Verb:
   • To split hairs, to nitpick: To criticize or argue about very small, unimportant details; to find fault in a petty or overly meticulous manner.
   • To cavil, to quibble: To raise trivial and often annoying objections.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Anh ấy luôn bẻ họe từng lỗi nhỏ trong báo cáo. (He always splits hairs over every minor mistake in the report.)
  • Đừng có bẻ họe nữa, đại ý thế là được rồi. (Stop nitpicking; the general idea is fine.)
  • Cô ấy thích bẻ họe cách dùng từ của người khác. (She likes to quibble over other people's word choice.)

Advanced Usage

• "bẻ họe vặt": To nitpick over trivial things. This emphasizes the pettiness of the criticism.
  • Ông giám đốc mới hay bẻ họe vặt nhân viên. (The new director often nitpicks employees over trivial matters.)

Variants and Related Words

• Bẻ (verb): To break, to bend. This is the root verb, with "bẻ họe" being an idiomatic extension.
• Chê bai (verb): To criticize, to disparage. This is a more general term for criticism, not specifically about minor details.
• Xét nét (verb): To scrutinize, to examine critically (often with a negative connotation). It is close in meaning but can imply a slightly more formal or severe examination than "bẻ họe".

Synonyms

• Cà khịa (verb, colloquial): To pick a fight, to provoke over minor issues. It has a more confrontational tone.
• Nói xoáy (verb): To speak in a roundabout, critical way. It implies indirect criticism rather than direct fault-finding.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Bẻ loi (verb, Southern Vietnamese dialect): Similar to "bẻ họe," meaning to nitpick or find fault.
  • Bà ấy hay bẻ loi chuyện nấu ăn của con dâu. (She often nitpicks her daughter-in-law's cooking.)

Related Idioms

• "Vạch lá tìm sâu": Literally "to part leaves to look for worms," meaning to go out of one's way to find faults. This idiom conveys a stronger sense of actively searching for problems.
  • Anh ta có tật vạch lá tìm sâu trong mọi việc. (He has a habit of splitting hairs in everything.)
• "Bới lông tìm vết": Literally "to ruffle feathers to find blemishes," meaning to dig up dirt or find faults where none are obvious. Similar to "vạch lá tìm sâu."

1. Split hairs, find fault with