Definition

1. Verb:
   • To scold, to berate, to rebuke: To speak angrily or critically to someone, often repeatedly or at length, because they have done something wrong. It implies a harsh, nagging, or prolonged reprimand.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Sếp thường xuyên mắng mỏ nhân viên. (The boss often scolds the employees.)
  • Bố mẹ không nên mắng mỏ con cái trước mặt bạn bè của chúng. (Parents should not berate their children in front of their friends.)
  • Cô ấy mắng mỏ tôi vì đã về nhà muộn. (She gave me a long telling-off for coming home late.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "mắng mỏ" often carries a nuance of persistent, nagging criticism rather than a single, sharp rebuke. It can describe a pattern of verbal fault-finding.

Variants and Related Words

• Mắng (v): to scold, to tell off. This is the root verb and is often used interchangeably with "mắng mỏ," though "mắng mỏ" can emphasize a more prolonged action.
• Quở trách (v): to reproach, to admonish (slightly more formal/literary).
• La mắng (v): to yell at, to scold loudly.

Synonyms

• Scold: To reprimand or criticize angrily.
• Berate: To scold or criticize angrily and at length.
• Nag: To annoy or irritate with persistent fault-finding or demands.
• Reprimand: A formal expression of disapproval.

Related Idioms

• While "mắng mỏ" itself is not typically part of a fixed idiom, the action it describes is central to expressions like:
  • Mắng như tát nước vào mặt: To scold as if throwing water in someone's face (i.e., to scold intensely and relentlessly).

    • Bà chủ mắng nhân viên như tát nước vào mặt. (The owner scolded the employee mercilessly.)