Definition

1. Verb:
   • To speak ill of someone, to slander, to defame: "gièm pha" means to intentionally say bad or negative things about someone, often behind their back, with the aim of damaging their reputation or credibility.
   • To disparage, to belittle: It can also refer to the act of making someone or something seem less valuable or important through negative comments.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Anh ta thường gièm pha đồng nghiệp với sếp. (He often speaks ill of his colleagues to the boss.)
  • Đừng nghe những lời gièm pha vô căn cứ. (Don't listen to baseless slander.)
  • Họ gièm pha thành tích của đối thủ. (They disparaged their rival's achievements.)

Advanced Usage

• "bị gièm pha": to be slandered, to be the target of defamation.
  • Cô ấy bị gièm pha là không có năng lực. (She was slandered as being incompetent.)
• "lời gièm pha": slanderous words, defamation.
  • Những lời gièm pha đã làm tổn thương danh dự của ông ấy. (The slanderous words hurt his honor.)

Variants and Related Words

• Gièm (verb): A shorter, more literary form with the same core meaning as "gièm pha". It is often used in proverbs and classical poetry.
  • Chớ để lâu ngày lắm kẻ gièm. (Don't delay, lest many people slander.)
• Phỉ báng (verb): To libel, to vilify. This is a stronger, more formal synonym often with legal connotations.
• Nói xấu (verb): To speak badly of someone. This is a more common, everyday phrase with a similar meaning but may be less malicious in intent than "gièm pha".

Synonyms

• Vu khống: to falsely accuse, to calumniate.
• Chê bai: to criticize, to find fault with (can be less malicious than "gièm pha").
• Bôi nhọ: to smear, to tarnish (someone's reputation).

Related Phrases / Idioms

• Gièm pha đặt điều: To slander and fabricate stories. This phrase emphasizes the creation of falsehoods to harm someone.
  • Hắn chuyên đi gièm pha đặt điều về người khác. (He specializes in slandering and fabricating stories about others.)
• Miệng thế gian gièm pha: The slanderous mouth of the world/public. This idiom refers to malicious gossip from society.
  • Cô ấy không quan tâm đến miệng thế gian gièm pha. (She doesn't care about the slanderous gossip of the world.)

1. xem gièm