quằm quặm
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Frowning, scowling: Describes a facial expression characterized by tightly drawn or knitted eyebrows, often indicating anger, displeasure, severity, or a fierce, stern look.
- Grim, sullen: Can describe a persistently gloomy, stern, or ill-tempered appearance.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Anh ấy nhìn tôi với vẻ mặt quằm quặm. (He looked at me with a scowling face.)
- Sau khi nghe tin, ông ấy ngồi im với cái mặt quằm quặm. (After hearing the news, he sat silently with a grim face.)
- Đừng có cái bộ mặt quằm quặm như thế! (Don't have such a sullen look on your face!)
Advanced Usage
- "nhìn quằm quặm": to glare, to glower.
- Bà ấy nhìn quằm quặm vào đứa trẻ nghịch ngợm. (She glared at the mischievous child.)
- Used to intensify the description of an angry or unfriendly expression, often implying a degree of menace or harshness.
Variants and Related Words
- Quạu (adj., informal): annoyed, irritated, in a bad mood. Less intense and more about temper than facial expression.
- Anh ta trông hơi quạu. (He looks a bit annoyed.)
- Cau có (adj.): frowning, looking worried or displeased. Similar but may imply worry more than fierceness.
- Mặt mày cau có. (A frowning face.)
Synonyms
- Cáu kỉnh: irritable, grumpy (describes temperament more than a momentary look).
- Hầm hầm: fuming, seething with anger (implies contained anger).
- Gắt gỏng: snappish, irritable (often describes tone or short-tempered behavior).
Related Phrases
- Mặt mày quằm quặm: (Idiomatic) Having a scowling, grim-faced appearance.
- Cả ngày hôm nay anh ấy mặt mày quằm quặm. (He has been grim-faced all day today.)
Notes on Usage
- Quằm quặm is primarily used in spoken Vietnamese and descriptive writing. It is a vivid, somewhat informal adjective that paints a clear picture of a negative, harsh facial expression.
- It is stronger than simply "cau có" (frowning) and often carries connotations of being intimidating, fierce, or mean-looking.
- Frowning, scowling
- Mặt quằm quặmFrowning (scowling) face