nhèo nhẹo
Definition
- Adjective:
- Whiny, fretful, or persistently fussy: Used primarily to describe a child who is being weakly, tearfully, or annoyingly demanding, often in a clinging or complaining manner.
- Feeble and complaining: Conveys a sense of being physically or emotionally weak while simultaneously making a fuss.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Đứa trẻ nhèo nhẹo đòi mua đồ chơi. (The child was whining persistently, demanding to buy a toy.)
- Con bé bị ốm nên rất nhèo nhẹo. (The little girl is very fretful because she is sick.)
- Đừng có nhèo nhẹo với mẹ nữa. (Stop being so fussy and whiny with your mother.)
Advanced Usage
- The term "nhèo nhẹo" often implies a repetitive, grating, and somewhat helpless quality to the complaining, more than simple stubbornness. It is almost exclusively used for children or childish behavior.
Variants and Related Words
- Nhèo (adj/v): Can be a shorter, more colloquial form meaning to whine or to be clingy in a complaining way.
- Nó nhèo mẹ mua kẹo. (He whined at his mother to buy candy.)
Synonyms
- Whiny: Complaining in a feeble or petulant way.
- Fretful: Anxious, complaining, or querulous.
- Fussy: Excessively concerned with details; hard to please, especially in a complaining manner.
Related Idioms
- While "nhèo nhẹo" itself is descriptive, it is central to the common parental admonishment:
- "Đừng có nhèo nhẹo!" (Don't be such a whiner! / Stop fussing!)