泪汪汪 (lèi wāng wāng) — (of eyes) brimming with tears; tearful

Definition

A vivid adjective-like state meaning 'eyes brimming with tears'. Unlike 哭 (the act of crying), it describes how someone's eyes look when they are about to cry or holding back tears.

verb
(of eyes) brimming with tearstearful

Examples

  • 泪汪汪，。
    Tā yǎn jing lèi wāng wāng de, hǎo xiàng gāng kū guò.
    Her eyes were brimming with tears, as if she had just been crying.
  • ，泪汪汪。
    Tīng dào zhè ge xiāo xi, tā gǎn dòng dé lèi wāng wāng.
    Hearing the news, he was so moved that his eyes filled with tears.
  • ，泪汪汪。
    Xiǎo hái shuāi dǎo le, téng dé lèi wāng wāng de.
    The child fell down and was in so much pain that his eyes were full of tears.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

泪lèitears
汪汪brimming
汪wāngbrimming汪wāngbrimming
联合Side by side

泪 gives the idea of tears, while 汪汪 describes the brimming, tearful state.

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.

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 →

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
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
王
王wáng汪wāng
Same sound today

汪 pairs 水 (water), showing liquid, with 王, a part that gives the sound.

Open 汪 →

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
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
王
王wáng汪wāng
Same sound today

汪 pairs 水 (water), showing liquid, with 王, a part that gives the sound.

Open 汪 →

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