哭

kū

吅 + 犬

HSK 2.0Level 3

HSK 3.0Level 3

Definitions

kū (verb) to cry; to weep

Etymology

Depicts the howl (吅) of a dog (犬).

About

The character 哭 is an ideogrammatic compound, with 吅 (two 口 "mouth" radicals) on top and 犬 ("dog") at the bottom. The dual mouths visually evoke loud, continuous vocalization, while the dog references the howling or whining sounds of a distressed animal. Together, these elements depict loud wailing and lamentation, distinct from silent weeping. Its core meaning is the physical act of crying aloud, expressing deep sorrow or pain through vocalization, often accompanied by tears.

Etymology Hide

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

小男孩在哭

Xiǎo nánhái zài kū

The little boy is crying.

她哭得很伤心

Tā kū dé hěn shāngxīn

She is crying very sadly.

妹妹哭了很长时间

Mèimei kūle hěn cháng shíjiān

Little sister cried for a long time.

孩子哭泣着找妈妈

Háizi kūqìzhe zhǎo māma

The child is crying while looking for mom.

如果你批评他，他会哭

Rúguǒ nǐ pīpíng tā, tā huì kū

If you criticize him, he will cry.

看到感人场景，她忍不住哭了

Kàndào gǎnrén chǎngjǐng, tā rěnbùzhù kūle

Seeing the touching scene, she couldn't help but cry.

他因为失望而哭了起来

Tā yīnwèi shīwàng ér kūle qǐlái

He started crying because of disappointment.

尽管她想停止哭泣，但眼泪还是流下来

Jǐnguǎn tā xiǎng tíngzhǐ kūqì, dàn yǎnlèi háishì liú xiàlái

Although she wanted to stop crying, tears still flowed down.

Related Characters

Component: 吅

Component: 犬

哭