Definition

1. Verb (informal):
   • To loiter aimlessly; to hang around without purpose: To spend time idly, often in public places, without any specific goal or productive activity. It implies a lack of seriousness or direction.
   • To dawdle; to waste time on trivialities: To engage in unimportant or frivolous activities instead of attending to serious responsibilities.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Cậu ấy cả ngày chỉ léng phéng ở quán net. (He spends the whole day just hanging around at the internet cafe.)
  • Đừng có léng phéng ngoài đường, về nhà học bài đi. (Don't loiter aimlessly on the streets; go home and study.)

Advanced Usage

• The word carries a negative, disapproving connotation, often used by elders or authority figures to criticize someone's idle behavior. It suggests the person is avoiding work or duty.

Variants and Related Words

• Lêu lổng (v, informal): To loaf about; to idle. Often used similarly to "léng phéng" but can sometimes imply a slightly more mischievous or unruly idleness.
  • Bọn trẻ lêu lổng cả buổi chiều. (The kids loafed about all afternoon.)

Synonyms

• Loiter: To stand or wait around idly without a clear purpose.
• Dawdle: To waste time; to be slow.
• Idle: To spend time doing nothing.

Related Idioms

• Đầu đường xó chợ: Literally "at the head of the street, in the corner of the market"; to describe someone who is always out and about, often with the aimless connotation of "léng phéng."
  • Thằng bé suốt ngày đầu đường xó chợ, chẳng lo học hành. (That boy is always hanging around the streets and markets all day, not focusing on his studies.)