眼泪 (yǎn lèi) — tears | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

眼泪 is the everyday compound for 'tears' — measured in 滴. 泪水 is a more literary variant; 泪 is a shorter written form often in set phrases.

noun

tears

Measure word · 滴

眼泪。
Tā liú le yì dī yǎn lèi.
She shed a tear.
眼泪，。
Tā cā gān le yǎn lèi, jì xù gōng zuò.
He dried his tears and continued working.
眼泪。
Tā de yǎn lèi bù tíng dì wǎng xià liú.
His tears kept flowing down.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

眼 names the source and 泪 names the drops, together meaning tears.

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.

目艮眼

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

艮

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

眼 combines 目, which is an eye, with 艮, which gives the character's sound.

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

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.

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