mách lẻo
Definition
- Verb:
- To tattle; to tell tales: The act of secretly reporting someone's private matters or wrongdoings to another person, often to cause trouble or gain favor.
- To be a telltale; to gossip maliciously: To reveal confidential information or secrets in a sneaky or betraying manner.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Đứa trẻ đó hay mách lẻo với cô giáo. (That child often tells tales to the teacher.)
- Đừng tin nó, nó rất thích mách lẻo. (Don't trust him; he loves to tattle.)
- Cô ấy bị mọi người xa lánh vì tật mách lẻo. (She is avoided by everyone because of her telltale habit.)
Advanced Usage
- The term carries a strong negative connotation, implying disloyalty, pettiness, and a desire to create discord.
- It often describes the behavior of children reporting on each other to authority figures, but can also apply to adults in personal or workplace settings.
Variants and Related Words
- Mách: (verb) A simpler, more general term meaning to inform or tell on someone. "Mách lẻo" intensifies this with a sense of slyness or mischief.
- Thèo bẻo: (verb, colloquial) A synonym for "mách lẻo," also meaning to tattle or tell tales.
Synonyms
- To tattle
- To tell tales (on someone)
- To snitch (informal)
- To be a telltale
Related Idioms and Phrases
- Hay mách lẻo: To be prone to tattling; to have a big mouth.
- Thằng bé hay mách lẻo nên chẳng ai chơi cùng. (The boy is a tattletale, so no one plays with him.)
- Tính mách lẻo: A telltale nature; a propensity for gossiping and reporting secrets.
- Cô ấy có tính mách lẻo, không giữ được bí mật. (She has a telltale nature and can't keep a secret.)