TheVietnameseword "nhom nhem" referstohaving a basic or limitedunderstanding of something, oftenimplyingthatoneknowsjust a littlebitabout a subject or skill. It can be translatedtoEnglish as "a smattering" or "a rudimentaryknowledge."
BasicMeaning:
Definition: Having a smallamount of knowledge or skill in a particulararea.
Example: "Tôichỉnhom nhemvàicâutiếng Nga." (I onlyhave a smattering of Russian.)
Usage Instructions:
"Nhóm nhém" is oftenusedwhentalkingabout languages, skills, or subjectswheresomeone isn’t fluent or highlyknowledgeablebutknowsenoughtounderstand or communicate at a verybasiclevel.
It can be used in bothcasualconversationsandslightlymoreformalcontextswhendiscussingsomeone's abilities.
AdvancedUsage:
Youmightuse "nhom nhem" todescribeyourexperiencewithsomethingyouhaveonlydabbled in, such as a hobby or a subject in school.
Example: "Tôinhom nhemvềlậptrìnhmáy tính." (I have a littleknowledgeaboutcomputer programming.)
Word Variants:
Thereare no directvariants of "nhom nhem," butsimilarphrasescouldinclude:
"biếtchút ít" (know a little) – anotherwayto say youhavelimitedknowledge.
"khôngrành" (notproficient) – indicating a lack of deepunderstanding.
Different Meanings:
While "nhom nhem" primarilyreferstolimitedknowledge, it can alsoimplythatsomeone is making an effortbuthasn'tfullymasteredthesubject.
It can sometimescarry a slightlyhumorous or self-deprecatingtonewhensomeoneadmitstheirlimited skills.
Synonyms:
"Chút ít": A littlebit.
"Hơibiết": Know a little.
"Nắmbắt": Grasp (as in tohave a basicgrasp of something).