liếm mép
Definition
- Verb phrase:
- To lick one's lips: The literal action of passing the tongue over one's own lips.
- To lick one's chops: A figurative expression meaning to anticipate or look forward to something with great pleasure or eagerness, often regarding food or something desirable.
Usage Examples
- Literal:
- Cậu bé liếm mép sau khi ăn xong cây kem. (The boy licked his lips after finishing the ice cream.)
- Figurative:
- Nhìn mâm cỗ, ai nấy đều liếm mép chờ đợi. (Looking at the feast, everyone was licking their chops in anticipation.)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase is often used to vividly depict greed, strong desire, or keen anticipation. It can describe someone's reaction to the sight or smell of delicious food, or more broadly, to any tempting prospect.
Variants and Related Words
- Hảo ngọt (adj): having a sweet tooth; fond of sweet things. This describes a preference, while "liếm mép" describes an anticipatory action.
- Thèm thuồng (v): to crave, to desire something strongly. This is a more general term for wanting something.
Synonyms
- To salivate: To produce saliva in anticipation of food, often used figuratively.
- To anticipate eagerly: To look forward to something with great excitement.
Related Idioms
- Thèm chảy nước miếng / thèm nhỏ dãi: To be so eager for something that one drools. This idiom emphasizes a stronger, more uncontrolled desire than "liếm mép".
- Ngửi thấy mùi bánh mì mới ra lò, nó thèm chảy nước miếng. (Smelling the freshly baked bread, he was drooling with desire.)