Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Mild-spoken, soft-spoken: Describes a manner of speaking that is gentle, calm, and not harsh, often used when advising or persuading someone.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Cô ấy luôn nhẹ lời khuyên bảo học sinh. (She is always mild-spoken when advising her students.)
  • Anh ấy đã nhẹ lời giải thích lý do cho sự chậm trễ. (He gave a soft-spoken explanation for the delay.)
  • Dù rất tức giận, bà ấy vẫn cố gắng nhẹ lời. (Even though she was very angry, she tried to remain mild-spoken.)

Advanced Usage

• "nói nhẹ lời": to speak softly/mildly.
  • Thầy giáo nói nhẹ lời để động viên tinh thần các em. (The teacher spoke softly to encourage the students' spirits.)
• "dặn dò nhẹ lời": to give gentle instructions/advice.
  • Mẹ dặn dò nhẹ lời trước khi tôi lên đường. (My mother gave me gentle advice before I set off on my journey.)

Variants and Related Words

• Nhẹ nhàng (adj): gentle, soft (can describe actions, demeanor, or speech).
  • Cô ấy có cách cư xử rất nhẹ nhàng. (She has a very gentle manner.)
• Dịu dàng (adj): gentle, tender, sweet (often used to describe a person's character or voice).
  • Giọng nói của cô ấy rất dịu dàng. (Her voice is very gentle.)

Synonyms

• Ôn tồn (adj): calm and gentle in speech.
• Nhỏ nhẹ (adj): speaking in a low, gentle voice.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

(This section is less common for adjectives in Vietnamese, but here are common verb-adverb collocations.) - Nói năng nhẹ nhàng: to speak gently (a common phrase combining speech and manner). - Anh ấy luôn nói năng nhẹ nhàng với mọi người. (He always speaks gently to everyone.)

Related Idioms

• "Lời nói không mất tiền mua, lựa lời mà nói cho vừa lòng nhau": Words are free, so choose them to please each other. (This proverb emphasizes the value of careful, gentle speech, which relates to being .)
  • Nhớ câu "lời nói không mất tiền mua", anh nên nhẹ lời một chút. (Remember the saying "words are free," you should be a bit more mild-spoken.)

1. Mild-spoken, soft-spoken