tròm trõm
Definition
- Adjective:
- Furtively, stealthily: Describes an action done in a secretive, sneaky, or quiet manner to avoid being noticed or heard.
- On the sly, covertly: Indicates doing something secretly, often implying a minor, mischievous, or illicit act.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Thằng bé lấy tròm trõm cái kẹo trong túi mẹ. (The boy furtively took a candy from his mother's pocket.)
- Họ nói chuyện tròm trõm trong góc phòng. (They were talking covertly in the corner of the room.)
Advanced Usage
- The word is almost always used as an adverb in practice, modifying a verb to describe the manner of an action, despite its classification as an adjective in Vietnamese grammar. It conveys a sense of small-scale secrecy.
Variants and Related Words
- Lén lút (adj/adv): stealthily, secretly. A more common synonym with a similar meaning.
- Vụng trộm (adj/adv): clandestinely, secretly, often with a connotation of doing something wrong.
Synonyms
- Stealthily: In a cautious and surreptitious manner.
- Covertly: Without being openly acknowledged or displayed; secretly.
- Sneakily: In a furtive or sly manner.
Related Idioms
- Ăn tròm trõm: To eat sneakily (often used for children).
- Đứa trẻ ăn tròm trõm miếng bánh trước bữa tối. (The child sneakily ate a piece of cake before dinner.)