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哭哭啼啼 (kū ku tí tí) — to keep crying and sobbing (often pejoratively, suggesting whining or being overly emotional)

Definition

A pejorative way to describe someone crying and sniffling repeatedly — usually a weak or annoying reaction, not genuine grief. Often used with 的 to modify a person or situation.

verb
to keep crying and sobbing (often pejoratively, suggesting whining or being overly emotional)

Examples

  • 哭哭啼啼，。
    Bié kū ku tí tí de le, hǎo hǎo shuō huà.
    Stop crying and sobbing; speak properly.
  • 哭哭啼啼，。
    Tā zhěng tiān kū ku tí tí de, ràng rén hěn fán.
    She whines and cries all day; it's really annoying.
  • 哭哭啼啼，。
    Tā shòu le diǎn wěi qu jiù kū ku tí tí, shí zài bú gòu jiān qiáng.
    He starts crying and sobbing over any small grievance; he's really not tough enough.

Origin

Reduplicated word
构词法gòucífǎ
重叠chóngdiéReduplication

A syllable said twice — for affection, for softness, or simply because that is how the word is said.

哭哭cry
哭kūcry哭kūcry
重叠Reduplication
啼啼sob
啼tísob啼tísob
重叠Reduplication

哭 and 啼 both relate to crying, and the repeated sounds suggest continuous sobbing.

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.

Open 哭 →

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 →

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
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
帝
帝dì啼tí
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

啼 combines 口, a mouth, with 帝, which gives the sound; the mouth part fits the meaning of crying aloud.

Open 啼 →

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
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
帝
帝dì啼tí
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

啼 combines 口, a mouth, with 帝, which gives the sound; the mouth part fits the meaning of crying aloud.

Open 啼 →
Appears in
Emotions & Feelings

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