啜泣 (chuò qì) — (v.) to sob; to weep softly | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Literary verb for sobbing quietly — a written, more vivid alternative to 哭. 啜泣 pictures short, broken breaths of crying.

verb

(v.) to sobto weep softly

Examples

啜泣。
Tā zuò zài jiǎo luò lǐ dú zì chuò qì.
She sat alone in the corner sobbing.
，啜泣。
Tīng dào zhè ge xiāo xi, tā rěn bú zhù chuò qì qǐ lái.
After hearing the news, she couldn't help sobbing.
啜泣，。
Diàn yǐng jié wěi nǚ zhǔ jué zài chuò qì, guān zhòng yě kū le.
At the end of the movie, the heroine was sobbing, and the audience also cried.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

啜 and 泣 both describe crying, so together they mean sobbing softly.

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.

口叕啜

Meaning part形符xíngfú

口口kǒumouth

Sound part声符shēngfú

叕

叕zhuó啜chuò

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

啜 combines 口 (mouth) with 叕. 口 relates the character to mouth actions, and 叕 provides the 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

Emotions & Feelings

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.