bèm nhèm
Definition
Adjective:
- Grumbling and petty: Describes a person who complains in a whining, nagging, and petty manner, often over trivial matters.
- Sloppy and indistinct: Describes speech, writing, or appearance that is messy, unclear, or incoherent.
Adverb:
- In a grumbling, whining way: To act or speak with persistent, petty complaint.
- In a sloppy, muddled way: To do something in a careless, unclear, or incoherent manner.
Usage Examples
Adjective:
- Anh ta có tính cách rất bèm nhèm. (He has a very grumbling and petty character.)
- Bài viết này bèm nhèm, khó hiểu. (This writing is sloppy and hard to understand.)
Adverb:
- Cô ấy cứ kể bèm nhèm về chuyện nhỏ. (She kept telling the story in a whining way about a small matter.)
- Nó viết bèm nhèm mấy trang giấy. (He wrote messily for several pages.)
Advanced Usage
- Often used to criticize someone's annoying attitude or the poor quality of something. It carries a negative connotation of being bothersome due to pettiness or lack of clarity.
Variants and Related Words
- Lèm bèm (adj/adv): A close synonym, also meaning to grumble, nag, or be long-winded and unclear.
- Đừng có lèm bèm nữa! (Stop grumbling!)
Synonyms
- Grumbling: complaining in a bad-tempered way.
- Petty: concerned with trivial matters, especially in a small-minded way.
- Incoherent: unclear; not easy to understand.
- Sloppy: careless and unsystematic.
Related Idioms
- While not a fixed idiom, the word is often used in phrases like:
- Tính hay bèm nhèm: A habit of being grumbling and petty.
- Nói bèm nhèm: To speak in a whining, unclear, or muddled way.