Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Floating scattered on the surface of a liquid: Describes light objects, often pieces or bits of something, floating dispersed and untidily on the surface of water, soup, oil, or other liquids.
   • Messy and scattered: Can describe a state of being untidy, disorganized, or spread out in a disorderly manner, often on a surface.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Mỡ thừa nổi lều bều trên mặt nước canh. (Excess fat floats scattered on the surface of the soup.)
  • Lá cây khô lều bều trên mặt hồ. (Dry leaves are floating messily on the lake's surface.)
  • Đồ chơi lều bều khắp sàn nhà. (Toys are scattered messily all over the floor.)

Advanced Usage

• The word "lều bều" is often used in a descriptive, slightly informal context to vividly paint a picture of a messy, scattered state, particularly involving things floating.
• It can be used metaphorically to describe non-physical clutter or disorder, though this is less common.

Variants and Related Words

• Lều bều is primarily used in its full form. It is a reduplicative word, a common structure in Vietnamese where the base "lều" is repeated with a tonal change to "bều" to form an adjective.
• Nổi lều bều (phrase): to float scattered.
  • Rác thải nhựa nổi lều bều trên sông. (Plastic waste floats scattered on the river.)

Synonyms

• Floating about: Dispersed on a liquid surface.
• Scattered: Spread out untidily.
• Messy: In a state of disorder.

Related Idioms

• While "lều bều" itself is not typically part of a fixed idiom, it is the core descriptive word in phrases like "nổi lều bều" (to float scattered), which functions similarly to an idiomatic expression.