tung hê
Definition
- Verb (informal):
- To throw about / to scatter recklessly: To fling or toss objects in a careless, disorderly, and often forceful manner, typically due to strong emotion.
- To flaunt / to show off boastfully: To display something (e.g., money, possessions, knowledge) in an exaggerated, ostentatious, and arrogant way to attract attention.
Usage Examples
Verb (to throw about):
- Cậu bé tức giận, tung hê sách vở khắp phòng. (The boy was angry and threw his books and papers all over the room.)
- Bão làm tung hê đồ đạc trong sân. (The storm scattered the furniture recklessly in the yard.)
Verb (to flaunt):
- Anh ta thích tung hê sự giàu có của mình. (He likes to flaunt his wealth.)
- Đừng có tung hê vài từ tiếng Anh đó ra nữa. (Stop showing off those few English words.)
Advanced Usage
- The action implied by "tung hê" is often impulsive, lacking control, and intended to make a visible impact, either through physical disorder or social impression.
- It carries a negative connotation, criticizing the subject's lack of restraint, temper, or vanity.
Variants and Related Words
Tung (v): to throw, to toss, to launch. This is the root verb without the emphatic, disorderly nuance of "tung hê".
- Tung bóng lên cao. (To toss a ball high.)
Hê (particle): An emphatic particle often combined with verbs (like "tung", "nói") to add a sense of excess, carelessness, or showiness.
Synonyms
- To scatter: To throw things about so that they land randomly.
- To fling: To throw something with force, often without care.
- To parade: To display something ostentatiously.
- To boast: To talk with excessive pride about one's possessions or abilities.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- Nói tung hê: To talk boastfully or to blab without restraint.
- Cô ấy nói tung hê về kế hoạch bí mật. (She blabbed recklessly about the secret plan.)