Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Describes a woman's loud, noisy, and incessant talking: "quàng quạc" is a reduplicative word used to describe a woman who talks a lot, in a loud, clamorous, and often irritating manner.
   • To squawk or cackle noisily (figurative): Used figuratively to compare someone's loud, harsh, and continuous speech to the cawing of a crow or similar bird.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Bà hàng xóm nói chuyện quàng quạc cả buổi sáng. (The neighbor woman talked noisily and incessantly all morning.)
  • Đừng có quàng quạc lên như thế, khó nghe lắm. (Don't squawk/cackle like that; it's very unpleasant to hear.)

Advanced Usage

• Used as an adverbial phrase: While primarily an adjective, it can describe the manner of speaking.
  • Cô ấy cứ kêu quàng quạc về chuyện đó mãi. (She kept squawking noisily about that matter forever.)

Variants and Related Words

• Quạc (verb): To caw, to squawk (of birds like crows). "Quàng quạc" is a reduplicative form (láy) derived from this root, applying the sound to human speech.
• Ầm ĩ (adj): Noisy, clamorous. A more general synonym.
• Lắm điều (adj): Talkative, gossipy (often with a negative connotation).

Synonyms

• Criailler (French loan context): To squawk, to screech.
• Jacasser (French loan context): To chatter, to jabber (like a magpie).
• Lắm lời: Having many words, verbose.
• Ồn ào: Noisy, loud.

Related Idioms/Phrases

• Nói như quạ: (To talk like a crow) An idiom with a similar meaning, describing harsh, loud, or unpleasant speech.
  • Bà ta cứ nói như quạ, chẳng ai muốn nghe. (She just talks like a crow; nobody wants to listen.)

1. xem quạc (láy)