Definition

1. Adjective (Tính từ):
   • Not worth eating, too little: Describes food or drink that is present in such a small quantity that it barely touches the lips or is insufficient to satisfy. It implies the amount is negligible, laughably small, or not worth the effort of consuming.
   • A mere taste, a tiny amount: Can describe any substance or thing offered in a minuscule, almost symbolic quantity.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Phần ăn này ít quá, dính mép thôi! (This serving is too small, it's just a mere taste!)
  • Mời nhau một ly rượu dính mép thế này thì có ý nghĩa gì? (What's the point of offering a glass of wine that's just a tiny sip like this?)
  • Bánh mì chỉ cho một chút bơ dính mép, ăn không thấy gì cả. (The bread only has a tiny smear of butter, you can't even taste it.)

Advanced Usage

• Used to express strong dissatisfaction, criticism, or mockery towards the giver for being stingy or offering an insultingly small amount.
  • Làm cả ngày mà phần thưởng dính mép thế này thật là bực mình. (Working all day for a reward this paltry is really annoying.)
• Can be used hyperbolically to emphasize scarcity, not necessarily limited to food.
  • Lương tháng này dính mép quá, không đủ sống. (This month's salary is a pittance, not enough to live on.)

Variants and Related Words

• Dính răng (vulgar, stronger): Even more vulgar and emphatic than "dính mép," meaning something is so little it barely sticks to the teeth.
• Lõm bõm: Describes something very sparse, scant, or insufficient (e.g., sparse attendance, scant knowledge).
• Tượng trưng: Symbolic, token (often used in a similar context for a very small, symbolic amount).

Synonyms

• Ít ỏi: Meager, scanty.
• Vặt vãnh: Petty, trifling, insignificant.
• Không đáng kể: Negligible, not worth mentioning.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Ăn dính mép: To eat a tiny, insufficient amount.
  • Cả nhà năm người mà chỉ có một đĩa thịt nhỏ, ăn chỉ dính mép. (With five people in the family and only one small plate of meat, everyone just got a tiny taste.)
• Cho dính mép: To give a tiny, stingy amount.
  • Bà chủ hàng xén cho dính mép đường thôi. (The grocery store owner gave just a tiny bit of sugar.)

1. (khẩu ngữ) Not worth eating, too little