Definition

Verb: - To show a little negligence; to be momentarily inattentive or careless: This verb describes a brief lapse in attention or a minor act of carelessness, often resulting in a small mistake or accident. It implies a temporary lack of focus or a moment where one's guard is down.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Tôi chỉ sểnh tay một chút, chiếc cốc đã rơi vỡ. (I was just momentarily inattentive, and the cup fell and broke.)
  • Anh ấy sểnh tay làm đổ mực ra quyển sách. (He was careless for a second and spilled ink on the book.)
  • Đừng sểnh tay khi đang chăm sóc trẻ nhỏ. (Don't let your attention slip when taking care of small children.)

Advanced Usage

• The word "sểnh tay" is often used to explain minor accidents or oversights, emphasizing that the error was not due to major incompetence but a fleeting moment of distraction.
• It can be used in a self-deprecating or explanatory way to soften the admission of a mistake.

Variants and Related Words

• Sểnh (verb): A less common, shortened form with the same core meaning of a lapse or slip. It is almost always used in the compound "sểnh tay".
• Sơ ý (verb/adjective): To be inadvertent; due to inadvertence. This is a close synonym but can imply a slightly more formal or general lack of careful thought, not necessarily involving the hands (tay).
• Lơ đễnh (adjective): Absent-minded, inattentive. Describes a general state of being distracted, not a single momentary action.

Synonyms

• Lơ là: To be negligent, to slack off. This can imply a longer period of inattention.
• Mất cảnh giác: To let one's guard down. Often used in contexts requiring vigilance.
• Sơ suất: To make an oversight, to err due to carelessness. A more formal term for a careless mistake.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Sểnh tay một chút, hỏng cả một đời: (To be inattentive for just a moment can ruin a whole lifetime.) An idiom warning that a small mistake can have enormous, irreversible consequences.
• Một phút *sểnh tay, ngàn đời ân hận: (A moment of *carelessness, a lifetime of regret.) Similar to the above, emphasizing lasting regret from a brief lapse.

verb

1. to show a little negligence