欲哭无泪 (yù kū wú lèi) — to be so sad or frustrated that one can't even cry; to be at a complete loss

Definition

Literally "want to cry but have no tears": used for helplessness so deep one is past tears — frustration, not grief. A chengyu, used in writing and emotional speech.

idiom
to be so sad or frustrated that one can't even cryto be at a complete loss

Examples

  • ，欲哭无泪。
    Tīng dào zhè ge huài xiāo xi, tā yù kū wú lèi.
    Hearing the bad news, he felt so upset he couldn't even cry.
  • ，欲哭无泪。
    Xīn kǔ gōng zuò le yì nián de jiǎng jīn tū rán méi le, zhēn shì yù kū wú lèi.
    The bonus for a whole year of hard work suddenly vanished—truly heartbreaking.
  • ，欲哭无泪。
    Kǎo shì qián yì tiān fā xiàn kè běn diū le, tā yù kū wú lèi.
    The day before the exam he discovered his textbook was lost—he was at a complete loss.

Origin

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
欠欠qiàn
Sound part声符shēngfú
谷
谷gǔ欲yù
Same sound today

欲 is made of 谷, which supplies the sound, and 欠, which relates to the meaning.

Open 欲 →

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.

Open 哭 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 無; 无 is its simplified writing.

For the simplified 无, the story is about 無. 無 drew a person dancing with ox tails held in both hands to pray for rain, then was borrowed for 'have no', so the picture does not explain that meaning.

Open 无 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 淚; 泪 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
戾
戾lì淚lèi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 淚 uses 水 (water) and 戾 for sound; this describes 淚, not 泪.

Open 泪 →

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