泪

淚

lèi

氵 + 目

HSK 3.0Level 5

Definitions

lèi (noun) tears

Etymology

Simplified form of 淚. Depicts drops of water (氵) coming from the eye (目).

About

The character 泪 is the simplified form of 淚. It combines the water radical 氵 with the eye 目, directly depicting tears flowing from the eye. The traditional 淚 uses the same water radical but pairs it with the phonetic component 戾 instead of the visual 目. The character means tears, the saline liquid produced by the lacrimal glands, and functions purely as a noun.

Etymology Hide

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

她的眼泪流下来了。

Tā de yǎnlèi liú xiàlái le.

Her tears flowed down.

泪水打湿了衣服。

Lèishuǐ dǎshī le yīfú.

Tears wet the clothes.

他强忍着泪水。

Tā qiáng rěn zhe lèishuǐ.

He struggled to hold back tears.

悲伤的泪水不停地流。

Bēishāng de lèishuǐ bù tíng de liú.

Sad tears kept flowing.

看到孩子哭，母亲也流泪了。

Kàn dào háizi kū, mǔqīn yě liú lèi le.

Seeing the child cry, the mother also shed tears.

泪水包含着复杂的情感。

Lèishuǐ bāohán zhe fùzá de qínggǎn.

Tears contain complex emotions.

在告别的时候，他忍不住流下了泪水。

Zài gàobié de shíhou, tā rěn bù zhù liú xià le lèishuǐ.

During the farewell, he couldn't help but shed tears.

泪水不仅表达悲伤，也能表达喜悦。

Lèishuǐ bùjǐn biǎodá bēishāng, yě néng biǎodá xǐyuè.

Tears not only express sadness, but also joy.

Related Characters

Component: 氵

Component: 目

泪