dính mép
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- 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.)
- (khẩu ngữ) Not worth eating, too little