涕 (tì) — (literary) tears; nasal mucus (often in compounds or formal usage)
Definition
Literary bound form for both 'tears' and 'nasal mucus'. It survives mainly in set phrases like 痛哭流涕 (weep bitterly) and 涕零 (shed tears), not in everyday speech.
bound form
(literary) tearsnasal mucus (often in compounds or formal usage)
Examples
- 涕。Tā gǎn dòng dé gǎn jī tì líng.He was so moved that he shed tears of gratitude.
- ，涕。Tā gǎn mào le, yì zhí zài liú tì.He has a cold and keeps having nasal discharge.
- ，。Tā tòng kū liú tì, fēi cháng shāng xīn.He wept bitterly, very sad.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
涕 combines 氵, a form of 水 meaning water, with 弟 (dì), which gives a sound clue.
Appears in
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