Definition

1. Onomatopoeia:
   • The loud, distressed cry of a chicken when caught or seized: "oác oác" is an onomatopoeic word that imitates the loud, panicked, and often repeated squawking sound a chicken makes when it is being grabbed, held, or chased.

Usage Examples

• Onomatopoeia:
  • Con gà mái kêu "oác oác" khi bị bắt lên. (The hen went "oác oác" when it was picked up.)
  • Nghe tiếng "oác oác" từ chuồng gà, tôi biết có chuyện không ổn. (Hearing the "oác oác" from the chicken coop, I knew something was wrong.)

Advanced Usage

• Used to describe sudden, loud, and panicked sounds: While primarily for chickens, "oác oác" can sometimes be used humorously or metaphorically to describe a person making a similar loud, startled, or protesting cry.
  • Thằng bé hét lên "oác oác" khi bị tạt nước. (The boy let out an "oác oác" yell when he got splashed with water.)

Variants and Related Words

• Oang oác (onomatopoeia): A variant that describes a very loud, brash, and often unpleasant shouting or talking voice.
  • Nó nói chuyện oang oác suốt ngày. (He talks loudly and brashly all day.)
• Quác quác (onomatopoeia): The sound of a duck quacking. This is a different animal sound but shares the repetitive, harsh quality.

Synonyms

• Kêu thất thanh (verb phrase): to cry out in panic.
• Kêu quàng quạc (verb phrase): to squawk noisily (can be used for chickens or other birds).

Related Phrases

• Gà kêu oác oác: This is the standard phrase where the word is used. It means "the chicken squawks 'oác oác'".
  • Cứ mỗi lần vào chuồng là gà kêu oác oác. (Every time I enter the coop, the chickens squawk 'oác oác'.)

Related Idioms

• Ồn ào như gà bị cắt tiết: (As noisy as a chicken having its throat cut). This idiom describes extreme noise and commotion. The sound "oác oác" is typical of the noise in this situation.
  • Lớp học ồn ào như gà bị cắt tiết. (The classroom was as noisy as a chicken having its throat cut.)

1. to croak