呱呱叫 (guā guā jiào) — excellent, top-notch, tip-top

Definition

A colloquial onomatopoeic adjective meaning 'top-notch, excellent' — used in casual speech to praise things (food, skills, results). No real near-synonyms in the curriculum; just remember it's informal and praise-only.

adjective
excellenttop-notchtip-top

Examples

  • 呱呱叫，。
    Tā de shǒu yì zhēn shì guā guā jiào, zuò de cài dà jiā dōu ài chī.
    His cooking skills are really top-notch — everyone loves the dishes he makes.
  • 呱呱叫，。
    Zhè jiā diàn de dàn gāo wèi dào guā guā jiào, wǒ měi cì lù guò dōu yào mǎi.
    The cakes at this shop taste excellent; I buy one every time I pass by.
  • 呱呱叫，！
    Nǐ zhè cì kǎo shì chéng jì guā guā jiào, jì xù jiā yóu!
    Your exam results this time are tip-top — keep it up!

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

呱呱croaking
呱guācroak呱guācroak
联合Side by side
叫jiàocall

呱呱 sounds like a loud, clear call, and 叫 means to call; together they suggest something outstanding enough to be praised.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 呱 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 呱 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
丩
丩jiū叫jiào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

叫 shows a mouth 口 and a sound part 丩. The mouth fits the old sense of shouting.

Open 叫 →

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