Definition

1. Verb:
   • To stretch out (one's arm or hand), to extend, to reach out: The primary meaning of "quài" is to extend one's arm or hand, often to reach something that is at a distance or through an obstacle. It implies a stretching or straining motion.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Cô ấy quài tay qua cửa sổ để lấy tờ báo. (She stretched her arm out the window to get the newspaper.)
  • Đứa trẻ quài tay ra để với lấy đồ chơi trên bàn. (The child stretched out his hand to reach for the toy on the table.)
  • Anh ta quài tay qua hàng rào để nhặt quả bóng. (He stretched his arm through the fence to pick up the ball.)

Advanced Usage

• "quài người": to stretch one's body, to lean out.
  • Anh ấy quài người ra ngoài ban công để nhìn cho rõ. (He leaned out over the balcony to get a better look.)
• The verb often implies the action is done with some effort or from an awkward position to bridge a gap or overcome a barrier.

Variants and Related Words

• Với (verb): to reach for, to try to grasp. While "với" is a more general term for reaching, "quài" specifically emphasizes the stretching or extending motion of the limb itself.
• Vươn (verb): to stretch, to extend. "Vươn" can be used for the body or limbs in a more general or relaxed way (e.g., - to stretch one's shoulders), whereas "quài" often suggests a more targeted, effortful reach.

Synonyms

• Duỗi tay ra: to extend one's arm out.
• Vươn tay ra: to stretch one's arm out.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Quài ra: to stretch out.
  • Nó quài tay ra ngoài cửa xe. (He stretched his arm out of the car window.)
• Quài qua: to stretch over/across (an obstacle).
  • Chú mèo quài chân qua khe hở. (The cat stretched its paw through the gap.)

Related Idioms

• While "quài" itself is not commonly found in many idioms, its meaning is central to descriptive phrases about effortful reaching. A conceptually related expression is:
  • "Nhoài người ra": to lean or stretch one's body out far. This shares the sense of straining to reach something.

1. Stretch out (one's arm)
   • Quài tay qua chấn song
     To stretch out one's arm through the bars of a window