Definition

1. Verb phrase:
   • To eat food while drinking alcohol: The action of consuming small amounts of food, typically savory snacks, in between sips of alcoholic beverages. This is a common social and culinary practice in Vietnam, where specific foods are chosen to complement the drink.

Usage Examples

• Verb phrase:
  • Anh ấy mua lạc rang để nhắm rượu. (He bought roasted peanuts to eat while drinking alcohol.)
  • Món này nhắm rượu rất hợp. (This dish goes very well with alcohol.)
  • Chúng tôi ngồi nhắm rượu và trò chuyện cả tối. (We sat, drank alcohol with snacks, and chatted all evening.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase describes a specific cultural practice. The food ("mồi nhậu" or "đồ nhắm") is not a full meal but rather accompaniment meant to enhance the drinking experience and mitigate intoxication.
• It implies a leisurely, social activity, often among friends or family.

Variants and Related Words

• Nhậu (verb): A more colloquial and general term for drinking alcohol, often in a social setting, which usually includes "nhắm" food.
• Đồ nhắm / Mồi nhậu (noun): The food specifically consumed with alcohol (e.g., dried squid, peanuts, grilled meats, cheese, fruit).
• Lai rai (verb/adverb): To drink alcohol slowly and leisurely, almost always involving "nhắm rượu".

Synonyms

• Ăn kèm khi uống rượu: To eat alongside while drinking alcohol. (A more descriptive, less idiomatic phrase)
• Chấm muối ớt ăn kèm: To dip in salt and chili pepper and eat as an accompaniment. (Describes a common method for certain "đồ nhắm")

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Ngồi nhắm rượu: To sit and drink alcohol with snacks.
  • Các cụ già thích ngồi nhắm rượu dưới bóng cây. (The elders like to sit, drink, and snack under the tree shade.)

Related Idioms

• While "nhắm rượu" itself is a set phrase, it is central to idioms describing social bonding:
  • Vừa ăn vừa uống vừa kể chuyện: To eat, drink, and tell stories (capturing the typical atmosphere of a "nhắm rượu" session).
  • Rượu ngon không có bạn hiền / Không mua không phải không tiền, không uống vì thiếu tri kỷ: (Poetic/Idiomatic) Good wine needs good friends; the reason for not drinking isn't lack of money, but lack of a close confidant. This highlights the social context in which "nhắm rượu" usually occurs.

1. Eat over sips of alcohol
   • Mua mực khô về nhắm rượu
     To buy some dried cuttle-fish to eat over sips of alcohol