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泪 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
泪lèitearsHSK 5, n, 8 strokes, radical 氵, rank #8402, Medium
泪lèitears; to cry, to weepHSK 5, n, 8 strokes, radical 氵, rank #8402, Medium
lèi(lei4) T4
  1. 1tears
  2. 2tears; to cry, to weep
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March 24, 2026

泪(淚)lèi(lei4)

泪 (lèi) refers to tears, the liquid that flows from the eyes when someone is crying. It can signify emotional states such as sadness, joy, or relief, and is often used in both literal and metaphorical contexts. In literature, the word can evoke deep feelings and connections to human experiences.

Strokes8Radical氵Frequency#8402DifficultyMedium
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, tears are often seen as a symbol of deep emotional expression, reflecting the value placed on sincerity and emotional honesty in personal relationships. Traditional poetry frequently uses 泪 to convey profound feelings.

Memory Tip

Picture a 'lay' of soft clouds that seem to drip with moisture, representing tears falling from the eyes. The '氵' radical suggests water, while the '目' component hints at the eye, making it easier to remember that 泪 means 'tears'.

Meanings of 泪

lèi(lei4)
1tears
2tears; to cry, to weep
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

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About 泪

泪Simplified
淚Traditional
8Strokes
氵Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#8402Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L5IntermediateTOCFLL4HSKKL2CEFRB1

Podcast: 泪

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Podcast: 泪

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AI Study Notes for 泪

Quick Contrast

眼泪 (yǎnlèi) refers specifically to tears as they come from the eyes, while 泪 (lèi) can be used more broadly in various contexts.

Memory Mnemonic

Picture a 'lay' of soft clouds that seem to drip with moisture, representing tears falling from the eyes. The '氵' radical suggests water, while the '目' component hints at the eye, making it easier to remember that 泪 means 'tears'.

Usage Notes

泪 is typically used in more emotional contexts, so it's essential to match the tone of conversation when using it. Common collocations include 泪水 (lèishuǐ, 'tear water') and 流泪 (liúlèi, 'to shed tears'). Avoid using it in overly casual settings where a lighter term might be more appropriate.

HSK Study Tips

While 泪 is not in the HSK vocabulary lists, it relates to other emotional words like 哭 (kū, 'to cry') and 喜悦 (xǐyuè, 'joy'). Focus on recognizing its use in emotional expressions and practice associating it with events that typically evoke tears.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, tears are often seen as a symbol of deep emotional expression, reflecting the value placed on sincerity and emotional honesty in personal relationships. Traditional poetry frequently uses 泪 to convey profound feelings.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 泪 with 哭 (kū), which means 'to cry'. For example, saying '我流哭' (wǒ liú kū, 'I shed cry') is incorrect; it should be '我流泪' (wǒ liú lèi, 'I shed tears').

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 泪

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Etymology of 泪

Formation TypeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Explanation

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

Memory Hint

Water 氵 from the eyes 目

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 泪?

Decomposition of 泪

IDS Structure⿰氵目
泪Full Character
=
氵shui3
left
目mu4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 泪?

Write 泪

泪

Practice writing 泪 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar Patterns of 泪

泪 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 2 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Related grammar lessons6
Exercise 1 of 3

Complete the Sentence

看着父亲粗糙的手，我不由得流下了眼____。

Looking at my father's rough hands, I couldn't help but shed tears.

Example Sentences for 泪 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
眼泪哗哗地流下来，她的视线一下子就模糊了。

yǎn lèi huá huá dì liú xià lái， ， tā de shì xiàn yī xià zǐ jiù mó hū。

The tears were streaming so fast she could not see.
2
他摇摇头，用纸巾擦掉眼泪。

tā yáo yáo tóu， ， yòng zhǐ jīn cā diào yǎn。

He shook his head and wiped his tears with a tissue.
3
他的歌旋律优美、悦耳动听，让我潸然泪下。

tā de gē xuán lǜ yōu měi、 、 yuè ěr dòng， tīng ， ràng wǒ shān rán。

Wonderfully melodic and tuneful, his songs have made me weep.
4
他悄悄溜走了，独剩我一人落泪。

tā qiǎo qiǎo liū zǒu le， ， dú shèng wǒ yī rén luò。

He quietly slipped away and left me to my tears.
5
那部上演的戏备受好评，让观众潸然泪下。

nà bù shàng yǎn de xì bèi shòu hǎo píng， ， ràng guān zhòng shān rán lèi。

The production received ecstatic reviews and had audiences weeping.
6
谈到他时，她拭去了脸上的泪水。

tán dào tā shí， ， tā shì qù le liǎn shàng de lèi。

She brushed away tears as she spoke of him.
7
我看着爸爸，他眼睛里泪光盈盈。

wǒ kàn zháo bà bà， ， tā yǎn jīng lǐ lèi guāng yíng。

I looked at Pop and he had big tears in his eyes.
8
她看着金尼，泪水滑落脸庞。

tā kàn zháo jīn ní， ， lèi shuǐ huá luò liǎn。

She looked at Ginny and tears rolled down her cheeks.
9
迈克尔哀求地看着他，眼里噙着泪水。

mài kè ěr āi qiú dì kàn zháo tā， ， yǎn lǐ qín zháo lèi。

Michael looked at him imploringly, eyes brimming with tears.
10
我说完后房间里没几个人不掉泪的。

wǒ shuō wán hòu fáng jiān lǐ méi jī gè rén bù diào lèi de。

There were few dry eyes in the house when I finished.

Cultural Notes for 泪

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, tears are often seen as a symbol of deep emotional expression, reflecting the value placed on sincerity and emotional honesty in personal relationships. Traditional poetry frequently uses 泪 to convey profound feelings.

Word Family of 泪

Words Containing This Character20
眼泪yǎnlèitears眼淚
泪lèitears淚
流泪liúlèito shed tears流淚
泪水lèishuǐteardrop淚水
落泪to weep落淚
泪流满面cheeks streaming with tears (idiom)淚流滿面
热泪盈眶rèlèiyíngkuàngextremely moved熱淚盈眶
泪眼tearful eyes淚眼
含泪tearful含淚
催泪弹tear bomb催淚彈
热泪hot tears熱淚
血泪blood and tears血淚
以泪洗面to bathe one's face in tears (idiom)以淚洗面
泪珠a teardrop淚珠
掉泪to shed tears掉淚
泪花tears in the eyes淚花
泪腺Lacrimal gland淚腺
泪痕tear stains淚痕
潸然泪下to shed silent tears (idiom)潸然淚下
挥泪to shed tears揮淚
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 眼泪 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 泪

It is pronounced as 'lèi'.