About
The character for "tear" exists in two primary forms: the traditional character "淚" and the simplified form "泪". The traditional character "淚" is composed of the water radical "氵" on the left, denoting liquid, and the component "戾" on the right, which historically served as a phonetic indicator, though this phonetic connection is no longer apparent in modern pronunciation. The later simplified form "泪", which predates the 20th century, is a purely ideographic or associative compound, directly combining the water radical "氵" with the character for "eye" (目), logically depicting water from the eye. While the structure shifted from a phonetic-semantic compound to an ideographic one, the core meaning of "tear" or "to weep" has remained consistent for both forms throughout their use.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
她的眼泪流下来了。
泪水打湿了衣服。
他强忍着泪水。
悲伤的泪水不停地流。
看到孩子哭，母亲也流泪了。
泪水包含着复杂的情感。
在告别的时候，他忍不住流下了泪水。
泪水不仅表达悲伤，也能表达喜悦。