Definitions

(verb) to cry; to weep
(verb) to crow (of birds); to hoot

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "啼" is structured with the semantic component "口" indicating mouth or sound, combined with the phonetic component "帝". Its core meaning has consistently related to vocal expressions, specifically crying or emitting sound. In early usage, it primarily described the cries of animals, particularly birds, as seen in classical texts. Over centuries, its application expanded to include the act of weeping by humans, while retaining its association with animal vocalizations such as the crowing of a rooster or the chirping of birds. The character's meaning has thus broadened from specific animal sounds to encompass a range of vocal expressions involving distress or natural utterance.

Example Sentences Hide

清晨公鸡鸣。

Qīngchén gōngjī tí míng.

The rooster crows in the early morning.

婴儿在房间里哭。

Yīng'ér zài fángjiān lǐ tí kū.

The baby is crying in the room.

听到乌鸦叫,他感到不安。

Tīng dào wūyā tí jiào, tā gǎn dào bù'ān.

Hearing the crow caw, he felt uneasy.

森林中传来阵阵鸟声。

Sēnlín zhōng chuán lái zhèn zhèn niǎo tí shēng.

From the forest came bursts of bird chirps.

那只受伤的猴子发出哀

Nà zhī shòushāng de hóuzi fāchū āi tí.

That injured monkey let out a mournful cry.

半夜的猫头鹰叫常常吓到路人。

Bànyè de māotóuyīng tí jiào chángcháng xià dào lùrén.

The owl's hooting at midnight often frightens passersby.

夜晚的猿令人感到孤独。

Yèwǎn de yuán tí lìng rén gǎndào gūdú.

The ape's cry at night makes people feel lonely.

尽管努力安抚,那个孩子还是哭不止。

Jǐnguǎn nǔlì ānfǔ, nàge háizi háishì tí kū bù zhǐ.

Despite efforts to soothe, that child still cries incessantly.