lóm
Definition
- Verb:
- To eavesdrop / to overhear secretly: The primary meaning of "lóm" is to listen to someone's conversation covertly, without their knowledge or permission, often to gain information.
- To learn by observation / to pick up (knowledge) informally: It can also mean to acquire a skill or knowledge indirectly, not through formal instruction but by watching or listening to others.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Nó ngồi lóm câu chuyện của người lớn. (He sat there eavesdropping on the adults' conversation.)
- Cô ấy biết tiếng Anh là do học lóm từ khách du lịch. (She knows English from picking it up informally from tourists.)
Advanced Usage
- "Nghe lóm": to eavesdrop, to listen in secretly. This is the most common collocation.
- Đừng có thói quen nghe lóm người khác. (Don't make a habit of eavesdropping on others.)
Variants and Related Words
Lỏm (verb): A common variant spelling with the same meaning (to eavesdrop, to learn informally).
- Thằng bé học lỏm được vài câu guitar. (The boy picked up a few guitar chords informally.)
Lõm (adjective): A different word meaning "sunken" or "concave" (e.g., mắt lõm - sunken eyes). Do not confuse with "lóm".
Synonyms
- Eavesdrop: to listen secretly to a private conversation.
- Overhear: to hear something without the speaker intending you to hear it.
- Pick up: to learn a skill or language informally.
Related Idioms
- Học lóm: to learn by observation; to acquire knowledge informally or surreptitiously.
- Anh ta thành thợ mộc chủ yếu là do học lóm. (He became a carpenter mainly by learning informally.)