Definition

Adjective: - Petty cunning: Describes a person, especially a child, who displays cleverness or slyness in trivial, often annoying, matters. It implies a sharp but small-minded intelligence used for minor advantages or mischief. - Small-time smart: Refers to being shrewd or crafty in insignificant situations, typically with a negative connotation of being irritating or lacking in substantial wisdom.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Đứa trẻ đó rất ranh vặt, luôn tìm cách lấy thêm kẹo. (That child is very petty cunning, always finding ways to get more candy.)
  • Anh ta không nguy hiểm, chỉ ranh vặt trong chuyện tiền nong. (He's not dangerous, just small-time smart about money matters.)
  • Sự ranh vặt của nó làm phiền mọi người trong lớp. (His petty cunning annoys everyone in the class.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used to criticize behavior that is clever in a shallow, bothersome way, distinguishing it from genuine intelligence ("thông minh") or strategic cunning ("xảo quyệt").
• It can describe an adult whose cleverness is perceived as childish or trivial.

Variants and Related Words

• Ranh mãnh (adj): Sly, cunning (often with more negative force and broader application than "ranh vặt").

  • Tên tội phạm tỏ ra ranh mãnh trước cảnh sát. (The criminal acted slyly before the police.)

• Tinh ranh (adj): Sharp, astute (can be neutral or slightly negative, but often implies a keener intelligence than "ranh vặt").

  • Cô bé nhìn mọi thứ với ánh mắt tinh ranh. (The little girl looked at everything with a sharp eye.)

Synonyms

• Petty shrewdness: Cleverness in trivial affairs.
• Small-minded cunning: Slyness lacking in depth or grandeur.
• Annoyingly clever: Intelligent in a way that irritates others.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Khôn vặt / khôn lỏi: A closely related concept meaning street-smart in a tricky, opportunistic way, often for minor gains.

  • Hắn chỉ giỏi khôn vặt, không làm được việc lớn. (He's only good at petty street-smarts, can't accomplish big things.)

• Ranh như con gián: As sly as a cockroach (a simile emphasizing irritating, persistent small-time cunning).

  • Nó ranh như con gián, khó mà bắt được lỗi. (He's as sly as a cockroach; it's hard to catch him in a mistake.)

1. Cunning