Definition

1. Verb:

   • To turn; to revolve; to rotate: To move or cause to move around a central axis or point in a continuous, often circular motion.
   • To turn; to swivel; to change direction: To move or cause to move to face a different direction.
   • To switch to; to move on to: To change or transition to a different activity, task, or subject.
   • To circulate; to rotate (capital, assets): To use money or resources in a cycle, moving from one investment or use to another.
   • To roast (meat): To cook meat, typically a whole bird or large piece, by rotating it evenly over or in a heat source until browned and cooked through.
   • To film; to shoot (a movie): (Short for 'quay phim') To record moving pictures with a camera.
   • (Colloquial) To grill; to quiz rigorously: To question someone intensely and in detail, often in an exam or test setting.

2. Noun:

   • A top (toy): A child's toy, often made of wood, that spins on its point when launched.

Usage Examples

• Verb:

  • Bánh xe quay. (The wheel turns.)
  • Cô ấy quay mặt nhìn tôi. (She turned her face to look at me.)
  • Anh ấy quay sang làm nghề kinh doanh. (He switched to working in business.)
  • Công ty cần quay vòng vốn nhanh. (The company needs to rotate its capital quickly.)
  • Mẹ tôi quay một con gà cho bữa tối. (My mother roasted a chicken for dinner.)
  • Đạo diễn đang quay một bộ phim mới. (The director is filming a new movie.)
  • Giáo viên đó nổi tiếng hay quay học sinh. (That teacher is famous for grilling students.)

• Noun: Đứa trẻ chơi đánh quay. (The child is playing with a top.)

Advanced Usage

• "quay đầu": to turn one's head; to turn around (often implying a change of direction or opinion).

  • Anh ta quay đầu nhìn lại. (He turned his head to look back.)

• "quay vòng quay vòng": to go around in circles; to be stuck in a repetitive cycle (often used figuratively).

  • Cuộc thảo luận cứ quay vòng quay vòng mà không đi đến kết luận. (The discussion just goes around in circles without reaching a conclusion.)

• "quay như chong chóng": to spin like a top; to be very busy or to turn around rapidly.

  • Cô ấy bận quay như chong chóng cả ngày. (She's busy spinning like a top all day.)

Variants and Related Words

• Quay phim (verb phrase): To film; to shoot a movie. This is the full form of meaning 6 (to film).
• Quay quắt (adjective): Describing something twisted, contorted, or writhing (e.g., in pain).
• Xoay (verb): A close synonym meaning to turn, rotate, or revolve. Often used interchangeably with 'quay' in many contexts (e.g., xoay người - turn around).
• Quay cuồng (verb): To whirl; to spin violently; to be in a state of turmoil or chaos.

Synonyms

• Xoay: to turn, to rotate.
• Xoay chuyển: to turn around, to change (a situation).
• Luân chuyển: to circulate, to rotate (especially for personnel, duties).
• Nướng: to roast, to bake (but 'nướng' usually doesn't imply the rotating motion of 'quay').

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Quay lại: to return; to come/go back; to turn back.
  • Chúng tôi quyết định quay lại khách sạn. (We decided to go back to the hotel.)
• Quay sang: to turn to (a person or a new activity).
  • Cô ấy quay sang nói chuyện với tôi. (She turned to talk to me.)
• Quay về: to return (to a place of origin or starting point).
  • Anh ấy quay về quê hương. (He returned to his homeland.)
• Quay đi: to turn away.
  • Cậu bé xấu hổ quay đi. (The embarrassed boy turned away.)

Related Idioms

• "Quay lưng": to turn one's back (on someone/something); to abandon or reject.
  • Anh ta đã quay lưng với gia đình. (He turned his back on his family.)
• "Quay như dế": (to spin like a cricket) - an idiom similar to "quay như chong chóng," meaning to be extremely busy.
• "Chết đứng, chết quay": (to die standing, to die spinning) - an idiom describing a state of shock or being dumbfounded.

verb

1. to turn; to revolve; to swivel
   • bánh xe quay
     a wheel turns round
2. To whirl; to reverse; to turn back
   • quay gót
     to turn on one's heels. to roast
   • quay gà
     to roast a chicken