嚷

• Pinyin: rǎng
• Hanzi breakdown: 嚷 = 口 + 襄 (mouth + surround — a shout that fills the surrounding space)

Meaning

To shout; to yell; to clamour; to speak very loudly, often with agitation, complaint, or insistence.

嚷嚷 (reduplication) means to make noise, shout about, or spread word loudly. 大嚷大叫 emphasises excessive, uncontrolled shouting. Often carries a negative connotation of disruption or impropriety. More informal and colloquial than 喊叫.

Examples

1. 他在电话里大声嚷着，引得周围候车的乘客纷纷侧目。 He was shouting loudly on the phone, drawing stares from the other passengers waiting nearby.
2. 孩子们在走廊里嚷成一片，老师走出来才渐渐安静下来。 The kids were making a huge racket in the hallway; it only gradually quieted down after the teacher came out.
3. 你别在这里嚷嚷了，楼上邻居都刚哄睡了孩子。 Stop making a scene here—the upstairs neighbors just got their kid to sleep.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, argument, noise

Tone: negative

Do Say

• 会场外有人大声嚷着抗议，保安人员随即上前维持秩序，防止局势进一步恶化。(Outside the venue someone was shouting loudly in protest; security personnel immediately stepped forward to maintain order and prevent the situation from deteriorating further.)
• 他一进门就嚷着肚子饿，母亲笑着让他先去洗手再上桌吃饭。(The moment he walked in the door he was shouting that he was hungry; his mother laughed and told him to wash his hands before coming to the table.)

Don't Say

• 她嚷出了一首美丽的歌 — use 她高声唱出了一首美丽的歌; 嚷 implies agitated or disruptive shouting and cannot describe singing or any positive vocal performance

Origin & History

嚷 = 口 (mouth) + 襄 (assist/surround) — shouting so loudly that the sound fills the surrounding space

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal