Definition

1. Noun:

   • Empty or unfilled grain of rice: A single grain of rice that is not fully developed, lacking a kernel or containing only chaff.
   • Inferior or poor-quality rice paddy: Rice that is light, shriveled, or immature, often separated from good rice during winnowing.

2. Noun (figurative):

   • A worthless or insignificant person: A derogatory term used to describe someone considered useless, incompetent, or of no substance.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Sau khi sàng, chúng tôi để riêng một đống thóc lép. (After winnowing, we set aside a pile of empty rice grains.)
  • Mùa này nhiều thóc lép quá vì thời tiết xấu. (This season has too much poor-quality paddy because of the bad weather.)
• Noun (figurative):
  • Hắn ta chẳng làm được trò trống gì, đúng là đồ thóc lép. (He can't do anything right; he's truly a worthless person.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in agricultural contexts to describe the byproduct of processing rice. Figuratively, it is a strong insult implying hollowness and lack of value.

Variants and Related Words

• Lép (adj): Flat, empty, or shriveled (e.g., - a shriveled seed).
• Thóc (n): Unhusked rice, rice paddy.
• Thóc giống (n): Rice seed for planting.

Synonyms

• Empty husk: A shell without substance.
• Chaff: The husks of grains separated during threshing.
• Good-for-nothing: A person of no use or value (for the figurative sense).

Related Idioms

• Thóc nào chẳng có sâu: Literally "No rice paddy is without worms," meaning every group has its bad elements or problems.
• Nhặt thóc bỏ vào nia: Literally "To pick rice grains and put them into a winnowing basket," meaning to gather or save small, scattered resources.