Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Not straight; crooked, slanted, or cut at an angle: Describes something that is not aligned in a straight line, often referring to the grain of wood, the cut of fabric, or the direction of a split. It implies deviation from a direct or intended path.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Củi này lẽo thớ nên rất khó chẻ. (This firewood has a crooked grain, so it's very hard to split.)
  • Anh ấy cắt miếng vải bị lẽo. (He cut the piece of fabric at a slant / on the bias.)
  • Con đường đi lẽo qua đồi. (The path winds crookedly over the hill.)

Advanced Usage

• "Chẻ lẽo": To split something along a crooked or non-straight grain.
  • Không nên chẻ lẽo thanh gỗ đó. (You shouldn't split that piece of wood against the grain/crookedly.)
• "Cắt lẽo": To cut something at an angle or not in a straight line.
  • Thợ may cắt lẽo vải để may cổ áo. (The tailor cuts the fabric on the bias to make the collar.)

Variants and Related Words

• Lệch (adj): Crooked, askew, off-center. While "lệch" often implies being off-center or unbalanced, "lẽo" specifically refers to a lack of straightness in line, cut, or grain.
• Xiên (adj): Slanted, oblique. Can be similar but often implies a sharper, more diagonal angle.
• Cong (adj): Bent, curved. Describes a smooth curve rather than a straight line being off.

Synonyms

• Không thẳng: Not straight.
• Chéo: Diagonal, oblique.
• Nghiêng: Inclined, tilted.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

(This word is primarily an adjective and does not commonly form phrasal verbs. Its usage is typically within descriptive phrases like those shown in "Advanced Usage".)

Related Idioms

• "Nói lẽo": (Less common, regional) To speak indirectly or beat around the bush. This idiom extends the core meaning of "not going straight" to speech.
  • Đừng nói lẽo nữa, hãy đi thẳng vào vấn đề. (Stop beating around the bush, get straight to the point.)

adj

1. not straight ; unstraight