ngoạch ngoạc
Definition
Adjective:
- Scrawled / scribbled: Describes writing or drawing done in a very careless, hasty, or unskilled manner, resulting in marks that are messy, irregular, and often difficult to read or decipher.
Adverb:
- In a scrawling manner: Used to describe the action of writing or drawing messily and hastily.
Usage Examples
Adjective:
- Chữ viết của nó ngoạch ngoạc, không ai đọc được. (His handwriting is scrawled; no one can read it.)
- Đứa trẻ vẽ ngoạch ngoạc lên tường. (The child drew scribbles on the wall.)
Adverb:
- Nó viết ngoạch ngoạc vài dòng rồi đưa cho tôi. (He scribbled a few lines and handed them to me.)
Advanced Usage
- The word often carries a negative connotation, implying a lack of care, skill, or legibility. It is frequently used to criticize poor handwriting or crude drawings.
Variants and Related Words
Nguệch ngoạc: A common variant with identical meaning and usage.
- Bức thư viết nguệch ngoạc. (The letter was written scrawlingly.)
Ngoạch (verb): To make a quick, careless stroke or line.
- Nó ngoạch một đường trên giấy. (He made a quick stroke on the paper.)
Synonyms
- Scribbled: Written hastily or carelessly.
- Scrawled: Written in a hurried, awkward way.
- Illegible: Not clear enough to be read.
Related Idioms
- While "ngoạch ngoạc" itself is not typically part of a longer idiom, it is used descriptively in phrases criticizing poor work.
- Viết như gà bới: To write like a chicken scratching (a common idiom for very bad handwriting). This is a synonym in spirit, not a direct phrasal form of "ngoạch ngoạc".