Definition

Adjective: 1. Curly, wavy, frizzy: Describes hair or fibers that are not straight but form curls, waves, or tight coils. 2. Curled, bent, crumpled: Describes an object, typically something thin and flexible like paper, metal, or a leaf, that is bent, folded, or twisted out of its original flat or straight shape.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Cô ấy có mái tóc quăn tự nhiên. (She has naturally curly hair.)
  • Tờ giấy bị quăn góc vì ẩm. (The corner of the paper is curled because of the humidity.)
  • Lá cây bị quăn lại do sâu bệnh. (The leaf is curled up due to pests.)

Advanced Usage

• "quăn queo": An intensified form meaning very curly, tightly curled, or severely bent/twisted.
  • Sợi dây thép bị bẻ quăn queo. (The wire was bent all out of shape.)
• "uốn quăn": To curl (hair) intentionally.
  • Cô ấy đi salon để uốn quăn tóc. (She went to the salon to get a perm.)

Variants and Related Words

• Quăn tít (adj): Describes hair that is very tightly curled or kinky.
• Xoăn (adj): A near-synonym, often used interchangeably with "quăn" for curly hair. "Xoăn" can sometimes sound slightly more formal or poetic.
• Cong (adj): Means bent or curved. While "quăn" implies a tighter, more coiled, or crumpled bend, "cong" describes a smoother curve or arc (e.g., - a curved bow).

Synonyms

• Xoăn: Curly, wavy.
• Cong: Bent, curved.
• Nhàu, nhăn: Crumpled, wrinkled (for paper/fabric, emphasizing creases rather than curls).

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Làm quăn: To make something curly or to curl something.
  • Độ ẩm cao có thể làm quăn tóc. (High humidity can make hair curl.)
• Bị quăn: To become curled/bent (passive state).
  • Mép sách bị quăn vì dính nước. (The edge of the book got curled because it got wet.)

Related Idioms

• Quăn như tóc rễ tre: (Curly like bamboo root hair) An idiom emphasizing very tight, coarse curls.
• Nóng quăn tóc: (So hot it curls your hair) Used hyperbolically to describe extremely hot weather.
  • Trời hôm nay nóng quăn tóc! (It's scorching hot today!)

adj

1. crisp; curly
   • tóc quăn
     curly hair