Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Sticky and dirty; slimy and grimy: Describes a surface, substance, or object that is unpleasantly wet, sticky, and soiled, often with food, mud, or other messy matter.
   • Smeared and messy: Refers to something covered in a messy, often semi-liquid substance, making it look dirty and unkempt.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Chân dính bùn nhem nhép. (Feet sticky with mud.)
  • Kẹo chảy nhem nhép xuống cằm. (Candy dripped stickily and messily down the chin.)
  • Sàn nhà nhem nhép. (The floor is sticky and dirty.)

Advanced Usage

• Used to emphasize a state of being unpleasantly adhesive and unclean, often invoking a sense of disgust or the need for cleaning. It frequently describes the result of spills, poor hygiene, or exposure to mud and grime.

Variants and Related Words

• Nhếch nhác (adj): Sloppy, untidy, shabby (often referring to general appearance, not necessarily stickiness).
• Lem nhem (adj): Smudged, smeared (often for faces, surfaces with dirt or color).

Synonyms

• Grimy: Covered with dirt.
• Slimy: Unpleasantly sticky and wet.
• Gooey: Soft and sticky in a messy way.

Related Idioms

• While "nhem nhép" itself is not typically part of a fixed idiom, it is commonly used in descriptive phrases to vividly portray messiness, especially involving children or careless handling of food and liquids.

1. Sticky, slimy
   • Chân dính bùn nhem nhép
     To have one's feet sticky with mud