Definition

1. Onomatopoeia / Adjective:
   • To squawk loudly and raucously: The primary meaning of "quang quác" is to describe a loud, harsh, and often repetitive cry, typically associated with a hen after laying an egg.
   • To cackle: It can describe the specific sound a chicken makes, especially a hen's loud, excited call.
   • To shriek or clamor (figurative): By extension, it can be used to describe a person speaking or shouting in a loud, shrill, and unpleasant manner.

Usage Examples

• Onomatopoeia / Adjective:
  • Con gà mái kêu quang quác sau khi đẻ trứng. (The hen squawked loudly after laying an egg.)
  • Đừng nói quang quác như thế trong thư viện. (Don't shriek like that in the library.)
  • Tiếng kêu quang quác từ chuồng gà vang lên suốt buổi sáng. (The raucous cackling from the chicken coop echoed all morning.)

Advanced Usage

• The word is primarily onomatopoeic, vividly imitating the sound itself. Its figurative use to describe human speech carries a negative connotation, implying the sound is annoying, grating, or lacking in refinement.

Variants and Related Words

• Quác (onomatopoeia): A shorter, related form also describing a loud, harsh cry. "Quang quác" is an intensified, reduplicative form of "quác."

Synonyms

• To squawk: To utter a loud, harsh cry (like a bird).
• To cackle: To make a sharp, broken cry or laugh.
• To clamor: To shout loudly and insistently.

Related Idioms

• While not a standalone idiom, the phrase "kêu quang quác" (to squawk/cry raucously) is the standard collocation.
  • Mấy đứa trẻ cứ kêu quang quác trong sân chơi. (The children kept clamoring loudly in the playground.)