Definition

1. Verb phrase:
   • To ask privately, to ask in a low voice: To pose a question to someone discreetly, often in a quiet or confidential manner so that others cannot hear.
   • To ask under one's breath: To ask something in a very soft, almost whispered tone.

Usage Examples

• Verb phrase:
  • Cô ấy hỏi nhỏ tôi về kết quả kỳ thi. (She asked me privately about the exam results.)
  • Anh ấy hỏi nhỏ người bên cạnh đường đi đến bưu điện. (He asked the person next to him under his breath for directions to the post office.)
  • Để không làm phiền mọi người, tôi chỉ hỏi nhỏ giáo viên. (So as not to disturb everyone, I only asked the teacher privately.)

Advanced Usage

• "hỏi nhỏ riêng": To ask someone privately and separately, emphasizing a one-on-one confidential inquiry.
  • Sau buổi họp, giám đốc hỏi nhỏ riêng tôi về dự án. (After the meeting, the director asked me privately about the project.)

Variants and Related Words

• Hỏi riêng (v): To ask privately, to ask separately. This is a close synonym, though "hỏi riêng" can sometimes imply asking someone aside for a private conversation, not necessarily in a low voice.
• Thì thầm (v): To whisper. This focuses more on the manner of speaking softly.
• Nói nhỏ (v): To speak in a low voice. This is the general action, while "hỏi nhỏ" specifies asking a question.

Synonyms

• Ask discreetly: Hỏi một cách kín đáo.
• Whisper a question: Thì thầm hỏi.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

(Note: As a verb phrase in Vietnamese, "hỏi nhỏ" functions as a unit. It does not have separable phrasal verb constructions like in English.)

Related Idioms

• "Hỏi nhỏ nghe to": Literally "ask small, hear big". This idiom suggests that a seemingly small or discreet question can lead to significant or revealing information.
  • Anh ta hỏi nhỏ nghe to về kế hoạch của đối thủ. (He asked a discreet question that yielded major information about the competitor's plans.)

1. Ask privately, ask under one's breath
   • Hỏi nhỏ bạn mượn cái xe đạp
     To ask privately one's friend to lennd one his bivcycle