Definition

1. Verb:
   • To look at with covetous eyes, to eye greedily: "ngấp nghé" describes the act of looking at something or someone with strong desire, often with the intention of wanting to possess it/them. It implies a longing, envious, or ambitious gaze.
   • To aim for, to have designs on, to covet: It also means to desire or scheme to obtain something, often something that belongs to someone else or is not easily attainable. It suggests ambition or a predatory interest.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Cô bé xinh đẹp có nhiều người ngấp nghé. (That pretty girl is eyed greedily by many men.)
  • Hắn ta đang ngấp nghé chiếc ghế giám đốc. (He is coveting the director's chair.)
  • Bọn đế quốc ngấp nghé những mỏ dầu ở Trung Đông. (The imperialists have designs on the oil fields in the Middle East.)

Advanced Usage

• "ngấp nghé một gia tài": to covet an inheritance.

  • Nó chỉ ngấp nghé gia tài của ông cụ. (He only has his eyes on the old man's fortune.)

• "ngấp nga ngấp nghé": (reduplication for emphasis) to keep eyeing something greedily, to hover around with desire.

  • Thằng bé ngấp nga ngấp nghé cái bánh trên bàn. (The boy kept eyeing the cake on the table greedily.)

Variants and Related Words

• Ngấp ngoải (verb): A less common variant, also meaning to eye greedily or to be on the verge of something (like dying). It often carries a more desperate or pitiful connotation.

  • Con chó bị thương nặng đang ngấp ngoải. (The severely injured dog is on the verge of death.)

• Thèm muốn (verb): to desire, to crave. (A more general synonym without the specific nuance of "looking at").

• Lấp ló (verb): to peek, to appear and disappear furtively. (Shares the furtive aspect but not necessarily the desire).

Synonyms

• Lấp ló, rình mò: to lurk, to peek furtively. (Focuses on the stealthy observation).
• Thèm thuồng, ham muốn: to crave, to desire strongly. (Focuses on the feeling of want).
• Nhòm ngó, dòm ngó: to look at, to peer at (often with curiosity or ill intent).

Related Phrases / Idioms

(Note: "ngấp nghé" itself is often used in phrases rather than having many derivative idioms.) - Ngấp nghé bên bờ vực: to be on the brink/verge of a precipice (used figuratively for danger or failure). - Công ty đó đang ngấp nghé bên bờ vực phá sản. (That company is teetering on the brink of bankruptcy.)

Notes on Different Meanings

The reference dictionaries hint at two nuanced, less common meanings: 1. To approach, to be close to (a limit, age, or physical boundary): This usage is rare and somewhat literary. - Nước sông ngấp nghé bờ. (The river water is lapping at the bank / is close to overflowing the bank.) - Ông ấy ngấp nghé sáu mươi tuổi. (He is approaching sixty years of age.)

1. To appear furtively or intermittently: This meaning relates to the reduplicated form "ngấp nga ngấp nghé" and the idea of something (like a glance or an object) appearing and disappearing.

1. Look wiht covetous eyes, aim, have designs on
   • Cô bé xinh đẹp có nhiều người ngấp nghé
     Many a man look at that pretty girl with covetous eyes