mách bảo
Definition
- Verb:
- To advise / to give advice: The primary meaning of "mách bảo" is to offer guidance, a suggestion, or a helpful piece of information to someone, often with the intention of helping them do the right thing or avoid a mistake.
- To inform / to tip off: It can also mean to secretly or discreetly provide someone with information, often about an opportunity or a potential problem.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Bà ấy thường mách bảo tôi cách nấu ăn ngon. (She often advises me on how to cook well.)
- Anh ấy mách bảo tôi về một cửa hàng giảm giá. (He tipped me off about a store having a sale.)
- Nếu bạn gặp khó khăn, hãy để tôi mách bảo. (If you have trouble, let me give you some advice.)
Advanced Usage
- The word often implies that the advice or information given is helpful, practical, and comes from a place of goodwill or experience. It is less formal than "tư vấn" (to consult) and often used in personal, everyday contexts.
Variants and Related Words
- Mách (v): to tell on someone, to inform (often secretly). This can have a neutral or slightly negative connotation.
- Đứa trẻ mách mẹ về lỗi của anh trai. (The child told their mother about their brother's mistake.)
- Bảo (v): to tell, to instruct.
- Cô giáo bảo chúng tôi im lặng. (The teacher told us to be quiet.)
Synonyms
- Advise: to offer suggestions about a decision or course of action.
- Instruct: to direct or command someone to do something.
- Tip off: to give private or advance information to someone.
Related Idioms
- Mách nước: to give a hint or a clever tip on how to solve a problem.
- Anh ấy mách nước cho tôi cách vượt qua vòng phỏng vấn. (He gave me a tip on how to pass the interview round.)