Definition

1. Verb:
   • To neglect, to fail to pay proper attention: "Sểnh ra" describes the action of not watching over, not minding, or not paying sufficient attention to something or someone, often leading to an unintended negative consequence. It implies a lapse in vigilance or care.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Sểnh ra một tí là hỏng việc. (A little neglect will spoil things.)
  • Đừng sểnh ra, phải trông chừng nó cẩn thận. (Don't be negligent; you must watch over it carefully.)
  • Tôi chỉ sểnh ra một lúc mà chìa khóa đã bị mất. (I was only inattentive for a moment, and the key was already lost.)

Advanced Usage

• "Sểnh ra" often carries a nuance of a brief, momentary lapse in attention that has disproportionate consequences. It is frequently used in warnings or to explain a mishap.
  • Công việc này đòi hỏi sự tập trung, sểnh ra là thất bại ngay. (This job requires concentration; a moment of neglect leads to immediate failure.)

Variants and Related Words

• Sểnh (verb): A shorter, sometimes more colloquial form with the same core meaning of neglect or inattention.
  • Đừng có sểnh! (Don't be negligent!)
• Lơ là (verb): To be negligent, inattentive, or to slack off. A close synonym.
• Bất cẩn (adjective): Careless, inadvertent. Describes a state or quality rather than the specific act of turning attention away.

Synonyms

• Lơ là: To be inattentive, to neglect.
• Không để ý: To not pay attention.
• Bỏ quên: To forget about, to leave behind (often accidentally).

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Sểnh mắt: To take one's eyes off (something/someone), a more specific form implying visual inattention.
  • Đừng sểnh mắt khỏi đứa bé. (Don't take your eyes off the child.)

Related Idioms

• Sểnh ra một tí, hỏng việc một đời: A proverbial saying emphasizing that a tiny moment of neglect can ruin everything. (A little neglect can spoil a lifetime's work.)
  • Nhớ câu "sểnh ra một tí, hỏng việc một đời" mà cẩn thận. (Remember the saying "a moment's neglect ruins the task" and be careful.)

1. Neglect, not pay proper attention
   • Sểnh ra một tí là hỏng việc
     A little neglience will spoil things