Definition

1. Verb:
   • To be inseparable; to stick close to someone: Describes two or more people (or sometimes things) who are constantly together, following each other closely and not parting ways. It implies a very close, often affectionate or dependent, companionship.
   • (Archaic) To play castanets: An older, less common meaning referring to the playing of castanets, a percussion instrument used by traditional street performers.

Usage Examples

• Verb (to be inseparable):
  • Hai đứa trẻ lúc nào cũng cặp kè nhau. (The two children are always stuck together.)
  • Đôi bạn thân cặp kè nhau như hình với bóng. (The two bosom friends are inseparable like a body and its shadow.)
  • Cô ấy đi cặp kè một bên anh ấy suốt buổi tối. (She walked close at his side all evening.)

Advanced Usage

• The word often carries a nuance of constant, sometimes conspicuous, togetherness. It can be used neutrally, affectionately, or sometimes slightly critically to imply dependency or a lack of independence.
• The archaic meaning related to castanets is rarely used in modern everyday language but may appear in historical or cultural contexts.

Variants and Related Words

• Cặp (n): pair, couple; (v): to pair up.
  • một cặp vợ chồng (a married couple)
• Kè kè (adv): describes following or sticking to someone very persistently and closely.
  • Nó đi kè kè bên mẹ. (He follows his mother around persistently.)

Synonyms

• To be attached at the hip: (Idiomatic) To be constantly together.
• To shadow: To follow and observe closely.
• To accompany closely: To go with someone side-by-side.

Related Idioms

• Như hình với bóng: (Like a body and its shadow) An idiom meaning "inseparable," frequently used in conjunction with cặp kè to emphasize the closeness.

verb

1. To be inseparable
   • đôi bạn thân cặp kè nhau như hình với bóng
     the two bosom friends are inseparable like a body and its shadow
   • đi cặp kè một bên
     to walk close at somebody's side