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泣 (qì) — (bound form) to weep; to sob; tears (used in literary or formal compounds)

Definition

Literary/formal word for weeping or sobbing — almost always seen inside compounds (悲泣, 泣不成声), not used alone in everyday speech, where 哭 is the everyday verb.

bound form
to weepto sobtears (used in literary or formal compounds)

Examples

  • ，。
    Tā tīng dào zhè ge xiāo xi hòu, rěn bú zhù kū qì qǐ lái.
    After hearing the news, she couldn't help but start crying.
  • 。
    Lǎo rén qì bù chéng shēng dì jiǎng shù le zì jǐ de jīng lì.
    The old man choked with sobs as he recounted his experience.
  • 。
    Zhè shǒu shī chōng mǎn le bēi qì de qíng gǎn.
    This poem is filled with sorrowful emotion.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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
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

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