Definition

1. Verb:
   • To flatter: To praise someone excessively, often with insincerity, to gain favor or please them.
   • To pamper: To treat someone with excessive care, indulgence, and attention, often by catering to their desires.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Anh ta luôn o bế sếp để được thăng chức. (He always flatters the boss to get a promotion.)
  • Bố mẹ o bế đứa con út. (The parents pamper their youngest child.)
  • Cô ấy không thích bị o bế. (She does not like to be flattered.)

Advanced Usage

• The term often implies a dynamic where one person is in a subordinate or seeking position, using excessive praise or indulgence toward someone in a superior or desired position.
• It can carry a slightly negative connotation of insincerity when meaning "to flatter," but a more neutral or positive one of affectionate care when meaning "to pamper," depending on context.

Variants and Related Words

• Nịnh hót (v): To flatter, to adulate. This is a stronger, more overt synonym for the insincere praise aspect of "o bế."

  • Hắn chỉ giỏi nịnh hót cấp trên. (He is only good at flattering his superiors.)

• Chiều chuộng (v): To indulge, to spoil (especially children). This relates closely to the "pamper" meaning but without the potential connotation of seeking favor.

  • Ông bà thường chiều chuộng cháu. (Grandparents often spoil their grandchildren.)

Synonyms

• Flatter: To compliment excessively, often to please or persuade.
• Pamper: To indulge with every comfort and attention.
• Coddle: To treat in an overprotective or indulgent way.
• Spoil: To harm someone's character by being overly lenient or indulgent.

Related Idioms

• Nịnh như tình: To flatter as if in love; to flatter extremely and fawningly.
  • Anh ấy nịnh sếp nịnh như tình. (He flatters the boss extremely fawningly.)
• This idiom highlights the exaggerated, insincere aspect sometimes present in "o bế."

verb

1. to flatter; to pamper