nhăm nhe
[ɲam˧˧ ɲɛ˧˧]
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
(verb) to lie in wait, to await an opportunity
Verb
Where it’s used:
Used
Miền Bắc · Northern Vietnam
• Wiktionary labels this sense “Northern”
Examples
[…] cho bọn xấu đang từng giờ từng phút nhăm nhe cắn vào thành quả cách mạng, nhăm nhe đánh vào chủ trương của nhà nước ta![…] with the bad people who are, at every single moment, lying in wait to destroy the achievements of the revolution, lying in wait to harm the policies of our country!
Wiktionary example (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Sources & notes
Imported from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-29); community review pending. source ↗
Common questions
What does “nhăm nhe” mean?
(verb) to lie in wait, to await an opportunity
Is “nhăm nhe” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.