Definitions

lèi (noun) tears

Etymology

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

About

The character for "tear" traditionally existed as "淚", a form structured with the water radical on the left to signify liquid and the component "戾" on the right, which functioned phonetically rather than contributing meaning. This composition eventually gave way to the simplified form "泪", which reinterprets the character through the direct combination of the water radical and the element for eye, creating a pictographic representation of tears as water emanating from the eye. Throughout its history, the character's core meaning has persisted without alteration, always denoting the saline droplets produced by the eyes, while its structural transformation highlights a move towards more transparent semantic components within the writing system.

Etymology Hide

Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

她的眼流下来了。

Tā de yǎnlèi liú xiàlái le.

Her tears flowed down.

水打湿了衣服。

Lèishuǐ dǎshī le yīfú.

Tears wet the clothes.

他强忍着水。

Tā qiáng rěn zhe lèishuǐ.

He struggled to hold back tears.

悲伤的水不停地流。

Bēishāng de lèishuǐ bù tíng de liú.

Sad tears kept flowing.

看到孩子哭,母亲也流了。

Kàn dào háizi kū, mǔqīn yě liú lèi le.

Seeing the child cry, the mother also shed tears.

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,他忍不住流下了水。

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

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

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.