Definition

1. Verb:
   • To stammer; to stutter: To speak with involuntary pauses or repetitions, often due to nervousness, excitement, or a speech impediment, resulting in unclear or broken speech.
   • To mumble; to babble: To speak in a low, hesitant, or confused way, making the words difficult to understand.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Cậu bé lắp bắp khi bị cô giáo hỏi. (The boy stammered when the teacher asked him.)
  • Cô ấy lắp bắp vài lời tạm biệt rồi vội vã rời đi. (She mumbled a few words of goodbye and hurried away.)
  • Anh ấy trả lời một cách lắp bắp vì quá hồi hộp. (He answered in a stammer because he was so nervous.)

Advanced Usage

• The word is often reduplicated for emphasis as "lắp ba lắp bắp", which intensifies the meaning of speaking in a severely broken, hesitant manner.
  • Ông cụ lắp ba lắp bắp kể lại câu chuyện. (The old man haltingly and stammeringly recounted the story.)

Variants and Related Words

• Lắp bắp is primarily used as a verb. There is no direct noun form; the concept is expressed with the verb itself (e.g., "nói lắp bắp" - to speak stammeringly).

Synonyms

• Stammer/Stutter: To speak with sudden, involuntary pauses.
• Mumble: To speak quietly and indistinctly.
• Babble: To talk rapidly and continuously in a foolish or excited way.
• Falter: To speak in a hesitant or unsteady voice.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Nói lắp bắp: This is the standard phrase meaning "to stammer while speaking."
  • Cô ấy nói lắp bắp khi đứng trước đám đông. (She spoke stammeringly when standing in front of the crowd.)