哭泣 (kū qì) — to weep | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

哭泣 is a written, more literary equivalent of 哭 — use it in narrative or formal writing rather than everyday speech. 呜咽 is quieter, referring to suppressed sobbing rather than open weeping.

verb

to weep

Examples

哭泣。
Tā tīng dào xiāo xi hòu rěn bú zhù kū qì qǐ lái.
She couldn't help weeping after hearing the news.
，哭泣。
Hái zi shòu le wěi qu, yì zhí zài kū qì.
The child felt wronged and kept weeping.
哭泣。
Tā kū qì zhe sù shuō zì jǐ de zāo yù.
He wept while telling his story.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

哭 and 泣 both mean shedding tears.

Characters in this word

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

吅吅xuānto speak loudly

Sound part声符shēngfú

獄

獄yù哭kū

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

Early 哭 showed 吅, loudly, above a long-haired person; that lower part later became dog-like shapes. Later, 哭 was analyzed as 吅 plus 獄 for sound.

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

氵立泣

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

立

立lì泣qì

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

泣 pairs 氵 (water) with 立 for the sound. It originally meant tears and later came to mean crying.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9 Emotions & Feelings 5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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