Definition

1. Verb:
   • To eavesdrop: To listen secretly to a private conversation without the knowledge or consent of the speakers. This is the core meaning of "nghe lóm".

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Đứa trẻ nghe lóm câu chuyện của người lớn. (The child eavesdropped on the adults' conversation.)
  • Tôi không nên nghe lóm điện thoại của người khác. (I should not eavesdrop on other people's phone calls.)
  • Cô ấy bị bắt gặp đang nghe lóm sau cánh cửa. (She was caught eavesdropping behind the door.)

Advanced Usage

• The word "nghe lóm" is considered a regional or dialectal variant, primarily used in Southern Vietnam. The more standard, nationwide term is "nghe lỏm". The two words are identical in meaning and usage.

Variants and Related Words

• Nghe lỏm (v): The standard Vietnamese term for "to eavesdrop".
  • Anh ta có thói quen nghe lỏm hàng xóm. (He has a habit of eavesdropping on the neighbors.)

Synonyms

• To eavesdrop: To listen secretly to a private conversation.
• To overhear: To hear something accidentally without intending to listen. (Note: "Overhear" often implies chance, while "nghe lóm" implies intent.)
• To listen in: To listen to a conversation one is not part of, especially on a communication line.

Related Idioms

• Tai vách mạch rừng: Literally "walls have ears, forests have echoes"; equivalent to the English idiom "walls have ears," warning that someone might be eavesdropping.
  • Nói khẽ thôi, tai vách mạch rừng đấy. (Speak softly, walls have ears.)

1. (địa phương) như nghe lỏm