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淚 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
淚lèitears; to cry, to weepx, 11 strokes, radical 氵, rank #87161, Very Hard
lèi(lei4)lei T4
  1. 1tears; to cry, to weep
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March 24, 2026

淚lèi(lei4)

The character 淚 (lèi) refers to tears, often associated with crying or weeping. It is commonly used in emotional contexts, such as expressing sadness, joy, or relief. The character conveys a depth of feeling and is often found in literary and poetic expressions.

Strokes11Radical氵Frequency#87161DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

Tears play a significant role in Chinese culture, often symbolizing not only sorrow but also profound joy or nostalgia. For example, during festivals like the Qingming Festival, tears may be shed in remembrance of ancestors, highlighting the importance of familial connections.

Memory tip

Picture a river (水, water) flowing from your eyes, symbolizing tears. The left part of the character, '氵', resembles water, while the right part '怜' suggests a feeling of pity or sorrow, helping you remember both the form and the meaning of 'tears'.

Meanings of 淚

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

By ear

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About 淚

淚Simplified
11Strokes
氵Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 淚

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Podcast: 淚

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AI Study Notes for 淚

Quick Contrast

泪 (lèi) vs 涕 (tì) — choose 涕 for nasal mucus, while 淚 specifically denotes tears from the eyes.

Usage Notes

Be cautious with the tone; 淚 (lèi) has a falling tone, which differentiates it from other similar-sounding words. It's more commonly used in written language or formal discussions about emotions rather than in everyday conversations. Collocations include phrases like '流淚' (to shed tears) and '眼淚' (eye tears).

HSK Study Tips

Although 淚 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, its components can help learners connect with other water-related characters like 水 (water) or 泪 (tear, a related form). Focus on recognizing its usage in literary contexts and its emotional connotations.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 淚 (lèi) with 泪 (lè), which is a simplified form. For example, saying '我流泪' (wǒ liú lèi) is correct, but mixing it with '淚' can lead to confusion about the character's complexity.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 淚

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Etymology of 淚

Formation typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

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

Memory hint

water

Semantic (meaning)氵
+
Phonetic (sound)戾
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

淚 = 氵 + 戾. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 淚

IDS Structure⿰氵戾
淚Full character
=
氵shui3
left
戾li4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 淚?

How to say tears; to cry, to weep in Chinese

“tears; to cry, to weep” in Chinese is淚lèi

The character 淚 (lèi) refers to tears, often associated with crying or weeping. It is commonly used in emotional contexts, such as expressing sadness, joy, or relief. The character conveys a depth of feeling and is often found in literary and poetic expressions.

When to use 淚

Be cautious with the tone; 淚 (lèi) has a falling tone, which differentiates it from other similar-sounding words. It's more commonly used in written language or formal discussions about emotions rather than in everyday conversations. Collocations include phrases like '流淚' (to shed tears) and '眼淚' (eye tears).

淚 or something close to it

泪 (lèi) vs 涕 (tì) — choose 涕 for nasal mucus, while 淚 specifically denotes tears from the eyes.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 淚 (lèi) with 泪 (lè), which is a simplified form. For example, saying '我流泪' (wǒ liú lèi) is correct, but mixing it with '淚' can lead to confusion about the character's complexity.

Write 淚

淚

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

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Word Family of 淚

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

Words with 淚

What does 眼泪 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 淚

淚 is pronounced as 'lèi', with a falling tone.

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