lem lẻm
Definitions
- Adverb:
- Continuously, without stopping: Describes an action that happens constantly or repeatedly without interruption, often used for eating or talking.
- Greedily, voraciously: Specifically when referring to eating, it implies consuming food quickly and eagerly.
- Volubly, non-stop: Specifically when referring to talking, it implies speaking rapidly and incessantly.
Usage Examples
- Adverb:
- Đứa bé ăn lem lẻm suốt buổi chiều. (The child ate voraciously the entire afternoon.)
- Cô ấy nói lem lẻm về chuyến đi của mình. (She talked volubly about her trip.)
- Nó cứ hỏi lem lẻm khiến tôi không kịp trả lời. (He kept asking questions non-stop, so I couldn't answer in time.)
Advanced Usage
- "ăn lem lẻm": to eat greedily and continuously.
- Thấy thức ăn ngon, nó ngồi ăn lem lẻm. (Seeing the delicious food, he sat down and ate voraciously.)
- "nói lem lẻm": to talk volubly and without pause.
- Bà hàng xóm nói lem lẻm về chuyện con cái. (The neighbor talked incessantly about her children.)
Variants and Related Words
- Lem: (Rarely used alone) Can imply a state of being smeared or sticky, but in the compound "lem lẻm", it emphasizes continuous action.
- Lẻm bẻm: A near-synonym, also meaning to chew or talk continuously, often with a slightly more audible or crisp sound (like crunching or chattering).
Synonyms
- Liên tục: Continuously.
- Làu bàu: To mumble or grumble continuously (often with a negative connotation).
- Lảm nhảm: To chatter or babble nonsensically and incessantly.
Related Idioms
- "Miệng nói lem lẻm, tay làm băm băm": (Idiom) Criticizes someone who talks volubly (making many promises or plans) but whose actions do not match their words. It implies empty talk.
- Đừng tin anh ta, miệng nói lem lẻm, tay làm băm băm đấy. (Don't trust him; he's all talk and no action.)