Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Squeaking, creaking, making a high-pitched grating sound: Describes a continuous, sharp, and often unpleasant sound, typically produced by friction between hard surfaces like wood, metal, or rubber.
   • Screeching, squealing: Can describe a similar high-pitched sound, sometimes intense or drawn-out.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Cánh cửa cũ kêu rin rít mỗi khi mở ra. (The old door creaks/squeaks every time it opens.)
  • Tiếng phanh xe rin rít trên đường. (The sound of car brakes screeching/squealing on the road.)
  • Đôi giày mới làm tiếng rin rít khi cô ấy đi. (Her new shoes made a squeaking sound when she walked.)

Advanced Usage

• Used as an adverb: Often used to describe the manner of a sound.
  • Bánh xe quay rin rít. (The wheel turned with a squeak / squeakingly.)
• Used for emphasis: The reduplicated form "rin rít" intensifies the description of the sound compared to the single root "rít".
  • Cửa kêu rít. (The door creaked.) -> Cửa kêu rin rít. (The door creaked loudly and continuously.)

Variants and Related Words

• Rít (verb/adjective): The root word meaning to screech, squeal, or creak.
  • Lốp xe rít trên đường ướt. (The tire screeched on the wet road.)
• Két (adjective): Also describes a squeaking or creaking sound, often interchangeable with "rít".
  • Giường ngủ kêu két két. (The bed creaked.)

Synonyms

• Cọt kẹt: Creaking (often for wooden objects).
• Ken két: Grinding, grating sound.
• Chít chít: Squeaking (often for small animals or high, short sounds).

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Kêu rin rít: To make a rin rít sound. This is the standard collocation.
  • Chiếc xe đạp cũ kêu rin rít cần được tra dầu. (The old bicycle that's squeaking needs oiling.)

1. xem rít (láy)