Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Higgledy-piggledy; at sixes and sevens; in a disorderly, haphazard, or nonsensical manner: Describes actions, speech, or situations that are chaotic, disorganized, or lacking in seriousness and proper order.
   • Silly, frivolous, or nonsensical: Can describe behavior or talk that is foolish, not to be taken seriously, or lacking in substance.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Công ty đó làm ăn nhí nhố, chẳng có kế hoạch gì cả. (That company operates in a higgledy-piggledy manner, without any plan.)
  • Anh ta cứ nói nhí nhố vài câu rồi cười. (He just talked at sixes and sevens for a few sentences and then laughed.)
  • Đừng có nhí nhố như thế, hãy nghiêm túc lên một chút. (Don't be so silly/frivolous like that, be a bit more serious.)

Advanced Usage

• The word nhí nhố is often used in a mildly critical or dismissive tone to point out a lack of organization, seriousness, or coherence.
• It can be reduplicated for emphasis as nhí nha nhí nhố, which intensifies the meaning of being utterly disorganized, frivolous, or nonsensical.
  • Mọi thứ ở đây nhí nha nhí nhố, chẳng ra thể thống gì. (Everything here is completely higgledy-piggledy, it's a total mess.)

Variants and Related Words

• Nhí nha nhí nhố (reduplicated phrase): A more emphatic form of nhí nhố, meaning utterly disorganized, totally frivolous, or completely nonsensical.
• Linh tinh (adj): Miscellaneous, scattered, all over the place. (Shares the sense of disorder but less focused on frivolousness).
• Bừa bãi (adj): Messy, sloppy, disorderly. (Emphasizes messiness rather than a lack of seriousness).

Synonyms

• Lộn xộn: Disordered, messy, chaotic.
• Vu vơ: Aimless, vague; can describe nonsensical talk.
• Tầm phào: Frivolous, trifling (often for speech).

Related Phrases

• Ăn nói nhí nhố: To speak in a nonsensical or frivolous way.
  • Anh ta ăn nói nhí nhố khiến không ai tin tưởng. (He speaks so frivolously that no one trusts him.)
• Hành động nhí nhố: To act in a silly or disorganized manner.
  • Những hành động nhí nhố đó có thể gây ra hậu quả. (Those silly/disorganized actions could lead to consequences.)

Related Idioms

• Chuyện nhí nhố: A frivolous/nonsensical matter or story.
  • Đó chỉ là chuyện nhí nhố, đừng bận tâm. (That's just a frivolous matter, don't bother with it.)

1. Higgledy-piggledy; at sixes and sevens
   • Làm ăn nhí nhố
     To do things in a higgledy-piggledy manner
   • Nói nhí nhố vài câu
     To talk at sixes and sevens