The word 泪痕 is formed by combining the character 泪, meaning "tear", which itself consists of the water radical (氵) and the character 目 (eye), with the character 痕, meaning "mark" or "trace", composed of the disease radical (疒) and 艮. In this compound, 泪 modifies 痕 to specify that the mark is from tears, resulting in the literal meaning "tear mark" or "trace of tears".