cà riềng cà tỏi
Definition
- Idiom (Thành ngữ):
- To nag incessantly; to scold or criticize someone repeatedly and at length about trivial or minor matters: This idiom describes the action of constantly finding fault, complaining, or reprimanding someone over small, often insignificant issues, much like persistently adding various spices (ginger and garlic) to a dish. It implies a continuous, annoying, and petty criticism.
Usage Examples
- Idiom:
- Mẹ tôi suốt ngày cà riềng cà tỏi về chuyện tôi để đôi giày không đúng chỗ. (My mother nags incessantly about me leaving my shoes in the wrong place.)
- Anh ấy chẳng làm gì sai nghiêm trọng, đừng có cà riềng cà tỏi mãi thế. (He didn't do anything seriously wrong, stop nitpicking and scolding him like that.)
- Sếp mới lúc nào cũng cà riềng cà tỏi nhân viên về những lỗi rất nhỏ. (The new boss is always carping at the employees over very minor mistakes.)
Advanced Usage
- This idiom is used in informal, colloquial contexts, often within families or close relationships. It carries a negative connotation, describing behavior perceived as annoying, petty, and unproductive.
- It can be used as a predicate in a sentence (e.g., "cô ấy cà riềng cà tỏi") or within a descriptive clause.
Variants and Related Words
- Cà rềnh cà tang: A similar-sounding idiom that can sometimes be used interchangeably in some dialects to mean doing something in a slow, dragging, or disorganized manner, though its core meaning is slightly different.
- Lải nhải: (verb) To chatter or nag on and on.
- Cằn nhằn: (verb) To grumble, to complain.
Synonyms
- To nag: than phiền, cằn nhằn liên tục.
- To nitpick: bới lông tìm vết, chỉ trích những chi tiết nhỏ nhặt.
- To harp on (about something): nói đi nói lại mãi về một vấn đề.
- To find fault incessantly: liên tục bắt lỗi, chê bai.
Related Phrases
- While "cà riềng cà tỏi" is a fixed idiom and not typically broken down into phrasal verbs, its usage is similar to English phrasal verbs like "go on at someone" or "pick on someone" in the context of constant criticism.
Related Idioms
- Bới lông tìm vết: (To part the hair to find dandruff) To nitpick, to go out of one's way to find faults.
- Chuyện bé xé ra to: (To make a mountain out of a molehill) To exaggerate a trivial matter into a serious problem, which is often the context for "cà riềng cà tỏi".