Definition

1. Noun:
   • Small shrimp or prawns: Refers to various species of small crustaceans, typically smaller than regular shrimp, often used in cooking.
   • (Figurative, derogatory) Small fry / insignificant people or things: Used to describe people or things considered unimportant, low-level, or of little value.

Usage Examples

• Noun (literal):
  • Bà ngoại mua một ít tôm tép để nấu canh. (Grandmother bought some small shrimp to make soup.)
  • Món mì xào này có tôm tép rất ngon. (This stir-fried noodles dish has delicious small prawns.)
• Noun (figurative):
  • Hắn chỉ là tôm tép trong tổ chức đó thôi. (He's just a small fry in that organization.)
  • Đừng lo về mấy vụ tôm tép đó. (Don't worry about those insignificant matters.)

Advanced Usage

• The figurative usage is often pejorative, minimizing the importance or status of the subject.
• It can be used in legal or criminal contexts to refer to minor offenders, as opposed to major figures.

Variants and Related Words

• Tôm (n): Shrimp or prawn (generally larger than ).
• Tép (n): Very small shrimp; can be synonymous with in the literal sense.

Synonyms

• Small shrimp
• Minor players (figurative)
• Underlings (figurative)

Related Idioms

• Bắt tôm bắt tép: To engage in small, trivial tasks or to go after minor gains.
  • Cả ngày anh ta chỉ lo bắt tôm bắt tép. (All day he just busies himself with trivial tasks.)