thay máy
Definition
- Verb (colloquial, often disapproving):
- To meddle, to fiddle with: To handle or touch something, especially in a restless, curious, or interfering manner, often without permission or with a lack of care.
- To tamper with: To interfere with something, potentially causing damage or altering its state.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Đừng thay máy vào đồ của người khác. (Don't meddle with other people's things.)
- Đứa bé cứ thay máy với chiếc điều khiển TV. (The child kept fiddling with the TV remote.)
- Ai đã thay máy vào máy tính của tôi? (Who tampered with my computer?)
Advanced Usage
- The term "thay máy" is a common variant or corruption of the standard word "táy máy". They are used interchangeably in informal speech with identical meaning and connotation.
Variants and Related Words
- Táy máy (v): The standard form meaning to meddle or fiddle with.
- Nó có thói quen táy máy mọi thứ. (He has a habit of fiddling with everything.)
Synonyms
- Meddle: To interfere in something that is not one's concern.
- Fiddle: To touch or handle something restlessly or nervously.
- Tamper: To interfere with or alter something, usually improperly or harmfully.
Related Idioms
- Táy máy chân tay: To have restless hands (and feet); used to describe a person who cannot keep their hands to themselves and is always touching things.
- Đứa trẻ này táy máy chân tay quá. (This child is too fidgety; they can't keep their hands to themselves.)