mỏng môi
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Having thin lips: Literally describes a physical characteristic of having thin lips.
- Gossipy, tale-bearing: Figuratively describes a person who is indiscreet, who cannot keep secrets, and who readily reports what others have said or done, often to cause trouble or gain favor.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Cô ấy có đôi môi mỏng môi. (She has thin lips.) [Literal usage]
- Đừng kể bí mật cho nó, nó mỏng môi lắm. (Don't tell him/her the secret; he/she is very gossipy/tale-bearing.) [Figurative usage]
- Tính nó mỏng môi, chuyện gì cũng mách với cô giáo. (He/She has a tale-bearing nature, telling the teacher everything.) [Figurative usage]
Advanced Usage
- The figurative meaning is far more common in modern usage than the literal one. It carries a strongly negative connotation, implying untrustworthiness and a tendency to stir up trouble.
- It is often used to describe children who tattle on their peers, but can be applied to adults as well.
Variants and Related Words
- Mách lẻo (verb/phrase): To tell tales, to tattle. This is a close synonym for the figurative sense of .
- Nó hay mách lẻo với bố mẹ. (He/She often tells tales to his/her parents.)
- Hớt lẻo (verb): To butt into a conversation; to gossip or spread news indiscreetly. Related in concept to being talkative and indiscreet.
Synonyms
- Tale-bearer (n): Người mách lẻo.
- Gossipy (adj): Hay tán gẫu, hay ngồi lê đôi mách.
- Indiscreet (adj): Thiếu thận trọng, không biết giữ kín.
Related Phrases/Idioms
- Mỏng môi hay hớt: A common pairing that emphasizes the characteristic of being talkative and prone to telling tales. It means "thin-lipped and prone to butting in/tattling."
- Con bé đó mỏng môi hay hớt, đừng nói chuyện trước mặt nó. (That girl is a tale-bearer and gossip, don't talk in front of her.)
- Table-telling, tale-bearing, peaching