Definition

1. Verb phrase:
   • To put one's mouth close to someone's ear and whisper: The action of leaning in so that one's mouth is near another person's ear to speak softly or secretly.

Usage

• This phrase describes a specific, intimate, or secretive manner of speaking, often used to avoid being overheard or to share confidential information.
• It is typically used with the structure: "ghé tai [vào ai đó] + [nói/ bảo/ thì thầm điều gì]" (to put one's mouth close to [someone's] ear and [say/tell/whisper something]).

Usage Examples

• Verb phrase:
  • Cô ấy ghé tai nói nhỏ với tôi một bí mật. (She put her mouth close to my ear and whispered a secret to me.)
  • Anh ấy ghé tai vào bạn mình và thì thầm kế hoạch. (He put his mouth close to his friend's ear and whispered the plan.)
  • Để không ai nghe thấy, mẹ tôi ghé tai bảo tôi phải im lặng. (So no one would hear, my mother put her mouth close to my ear and told me to be quiet.)

Advanced Usage

• "ghé tai nói nhỏ": to whisper by putting one's mouth close to someone's ear. This is a common collocation emphasizing the softness of speech.
  • Trong thư viện, cậu bé chỉ dám ghé tai nói nhỏ với bạn. (In the library, the boy only dared to whisper by putting his mouth close to his friend's ear.)
• "ghé tai thì thầm": to murmur/whisper secrets by putting one's mouth close to someone's ear.
  • Họ ghé tai thì thầm những chuyện riêng tư. (They murmured private matters by putting their mouths close to each other's ears.)

Variants and Related Words

• Thì thầm (verb): to whisper, to murmur (a more general term for speaking softly).
• Nói nhỏ (verb phrase): to speak softly, to say something in a low voice.
• Kề tai (verb phrase): to bring one's ear close (to listen). Note: "Kề tai" focuses on the listener's ear being close to the speaker's mouth, while "ghé tai" focuses on the speaker's action of bringing their mouth to the listener's ear.

Synonyms

• Thì thầm bên tai: to whisper by the ear.
• Nói nhỏ vào tai: to speak softly into the ear.

Related Phrases / Idioms

• Ghé tai mách nước: to put one's mouth close to someone's ear to give advice or a tip (often in a cunning or secretive context).
  • Ông ấy ghé tai mách nước cho tôi cách giành chiến thắng. (He put his mouth close to my ear to give me a tip on how to win.)

1. Put one's mouth close to someone's ears and whisper something