Definition

1. Adverb:
   • Very quickly, hastily, or promptly: Describes an action performed with great speed or without delay. It emphasizes a sense of urgency or swiftness.
   • Immediately, right away: Indicates that something happens or is done at once, without any waiting.

Usage Examples

• Adverb:
  • Nghe tiếng gọi, nó chạy đến lè lẹ. (Hearing the call, it ran over very quickly.)
  • Cô ấy trả lời câu hỏi lè lẹ. (She answered the question right away.)
  • Hãy làm công việc này lè lẹ cho xong. (Do this work promptly to finish it.)

Advanced Usage

• Often used in informal, conversational Southern Vietnamese speech to add emphasis to the speed of an action. It can carry a tone of mild command or urgency.

Variants and Related Words

• Lẹ (adv): Quick, fast. "Lè lẹ" is a reduplicative form that intensifies the meaning of "lẹ."
  • Làm lẹ lên! (Do it quickly!)
• Lẹ làng (adj/adv): Nimble, agile; doing something quickly and deftly.
  • Cô ấy làm việc rất lẹ làng. (She works very nimbly.)

Synonyms

• Quickly: at a fast speed.
• Promptly: with little or no delay.
• Hastily: in a hurried manner.
• Immediately: instantly, at once.

Related Idioms

• Nhanh như chớp / nhanh như cắt: Idioms meaning "as fast as lightning" or "very fast," similar in meaning but more vivid than "lè lẹ."
  • Anh ấy giải quyết vấn đề nhanh như chớp. (He solved the problem as fast as lightning.)