Definition

1. Verb:
   • To drip, to trickle: "rỏ giọt" means to fall or flow in small, individual drops, often slowly and intermittently. It is a regional (dialectal) variant of the more standard term "nhỏ giọt".
   • To dole out sparingly, to give in tiny amounts: Figuratively, it describes providing something (like money or resources) in very small, measured, and often insufficient quantities.

Usage Examples

• Verb (Literal - to drip):

  • Nước mưa rỏ giọt từ mái hiên. (Rainwater drips from the eaves.)
  • Thuốc nhỏ mắt cần được rỏ giọt cẩn thận. (Eye drops need to be applied carefully, drop by drop.)

• Verb (Figurative - to dole out):

  • Ông chủ cho nhân viên tiền thưởng rỏ giọt. (The boss gives bonuses to employees in tiny, sparing amounts.)
  • Viện trợ được cung cấp một cách rỏ giọt, không đủ để giải quyết vấn đề. (Aid is provided in a trickle, insufficient to solve the problem.)

Advanced Usage

• "cho/tiêu tiền rỏ giọt": to spend or give money very sparingly, almost stingily.
  • Bà ấy tiêu tiền rỏ giọt, không bao giờ mua sắm phung phí. (She spends money very sparingly, never shops wastefully.)

Variants and Related Words

• Nhỏ giọt (verb): The standard, more common synonym meaning "to drip" or "to trickle".
• Rỉ rả (verb/adverb): To trickle or seep slowly and continuously; often used for liquids or sounds (e.g., a slow, persistent sound).
• Từng giọt (phrase): Drop by drop; used as an adverbial phrase.

Synonyms

• Nhỏ giọt: To drip, to trickle (direct synonym).
• Chảy nhỏ giọt: To flow in drops.
• Rỉ: To seep, to ooze slowly.

Notes on Meaning

• Primary Meaning: The core meaning is the slow, drop-by-drop falling of a liquid. This is its literal and most concrete use.
• Figurative Meaning: The figurative use emphasizes scarcity, slowness, and insufficiency. It often carries a slightly negative connotation, implying that the amount given is inadequate or given reluctantly.

1. (địa phương) như nhỏ giọt