Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Hen-pecked: A man who is excessively controlled, dominated, or nagged by his wife or female partner. The term describes a husband who is submissive and fearful of his spouse.
   • Afraid of one's wife: The primary and most common meaning, directly indicating a man's fear of his wife.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Anh ấy bị mọi người gọi là anh chàng quặp râu. (He is called a hen-pecked man by everyone.)
  • Ông ấy quặp râu đến mức không dám đi đâu mà không xin phép vợ. (He is so hen-pecked that he doesn't dare go anywhere without asking his wife's permission.)
  • Đừng có quặp râu như thế, hãy tự quyết định đi! (Don't be so hen-pecked like that, make your own decision!)

Advanced Usage

• The term "quặp râu" is inherently informal and colloquial, often used humorously or teasingly among friends and family. It carries a slightly negative or pitying connotation.
• It is almost exclusively used to describe men. Using it for a woman would be very unusual and likely incorrect.
• The imagery comes from the idea of a man's "râu" (beard/mustache) being "quặp" (clamped/bent/pinched), symbolizing being under the control or thumb of one's wife.

Variants and Related Words

• Sợ vợ (v.phr): This is the direct, more neutral phrase meaning "to be afraid of one's wife." "Quặp râu" is a more vivid, idiomatic synonym for this phrase.
• Nhu nhược (adj): Weak-willed, spineless. This is a more general term for weakness, which can be a characteristic of someone described as "quặp râu".
• Bạc nhược (adj): Feeble, impotent. Another general term for lack of strength or character.

Synonyms

• Hen-pecked: The direct and most accurate English equivalent.
• Pussy-whipped (slang, vulgar): A stronger, cruder slang term with a similar meaning.
• Under the thumb (of one's wife): An idiomatic phrase meaning controlled by someone.
• Submissive (husband): A more formal descriptive term.

Related Idioms

• Sợ vợ như sợ cọp: (To fear one's wife like a tiger) - A common Vietnamese idiom emphasizing extreme fear of one's wife, similar in theme to "quặp râu" but more exaggerated.
• Cáy giận cơm sôi: (A crab gets angry at boiling rice) - An idiom sometimes used to humorously describe a man who is angry but powerless, often in a domestic context, which can relate to the dynamic described by "quặp râu".

1. Hen-pecked
   • Anh chàng quặp râu
     A hen-pecked chap