lẻ nhẻ
Definition
Adjective:
- Whiny, nagging: Describes a person, especially a child, who persistently complains or fusses in a feeble, irritating, and drawn-out manner.
- Petty, trivial: Can describe speech or behavior that is annoyingly focused on minor, unimportant details.
Adverb:
- In a whining/nagging manner: Describes the action of speaking or complaining in a persistent, high-pitched, and irritating way.
Usage Examples
Adjective:
- Đứa trẻ đó lúc nào cũng lẻ nhẻ. (That child is always whiny.)
- Đừng có lẻ nhẻ về chuyện nhỏ nhặt ấy nữa. (Stop being so petty about that trivial matter.)
Adverb:
- Nó cứ lẻ nhẻ đòi mua đồ chơi. (He kept whining to buy a toy.)
- Cô ấy nói lẻ nhẻ cả buổi sáng. (She nagged all morning long.)
Advanced Usage
- Often used in a reduplicative form for emphasis: "lẻ nhẻ lè nhè". This intensifies the meaning of being annoyingly persistent in complaining.
- Nó khóc lẻ nhẻ lè nhè không chịu ngủ. (He cried and whined persistently, refusing to sleep.)
Variants and Related Words
- Lè nhè (adj/adv): A more common variant with the same meaning of being whiny, nagging, or speaking in a slurred, drunken manner.
- Ông ấy say rượu nói lè nhè. (He was drunk and spoke slurrily.)
Synonyms
- Whiny: Complaining in a feeble or petulant way.
- Nagging: Persistently annoying or finding fault.
- Petty: Overly concerned with trivial details.
Related Idioms
- While not a fixed idiom, the phrase "lẻ nhẻ lè nhè" is a common collocation that functions like an idiom, emphasizing continuous, irritating complaint.