Definition

1. Verb:
   • To eavesdrop: To listen secretly to a private conversation, typically without the knowledge or consent of the speakers.
   • To overhear (secretly/intentionally): To deliberately and covertly hear something not intended for one's ears.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Cô ấy bị bắt quả tang đang nghe trộm cuộc nói chuyện của đồng nghiệp. (She was caught red-handed eavesdropping on her colleagues' conversation.)
  • Đứa trẻ thường nghe trộm bố mẹ nói chuyện từ ngoài cửa. (The child often eavesdrops on his parents talking from outside the door.)
  • Hành động nghe trộm điện thoại là bất hợp pháp. (The act of eavesdropping on phone calls is illegal.)

Advanced Usage

• The term implies intentional, secretive listening for the purpose of gaining private information. It carries a negative connotation of intrusion and a lack of ethics or legality.
• It is often used in contexts of espionage, personal secrets, or confidential matters.

Variants and Related Words

• Nghe lén (v): A direct synonym for , meaning to eavesdrop.
  • Tôi không thích thói quen nghe lén của anh ta. (I don't like his habit of eavesdropping.)

Synonyms

• Eavesdrop: To listen secretly to a private conversation.
• Wiretap: To monitor telephone or telegraph communications secretly (a specific technical form of eavesdropping).
• Overhear (with intent): Although "overhear" can be accidental, in this context it implies the deliberate, secretive aspect.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Tai vách mạch rừng: (Literal: Walls have ears, the forest has whispers). This Vietnamese idiom warns that one may be overheard, relating to the concept of .
  • Cẩn thận khi nói chuyện, tai vách mạch rừng đấy. (Be careful when talking, walls have ears.)