Cry me a river

American Slang Term American ★★★★★ Very Common Casual
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Meaning: I don't feel sorry for you; stop complaining about something trivial.

我才不同情你呢;别为鸡毛蒜皮的事哭哭啼啼了。
No me das ninguna pena; deja de quejarte por tonterías.
同情しないよ。つまらないことでグチグチ言うのはやめて。
동정 안 해; 사소한 걸로 불평 좀 그만해.

A sarcastic dismissal of someone's complaint, implying they're being overly dramatic or that their problem isn't worthy of sympathy. 'Go ahead and cry so much that it forms a river — I still don't care.'

对某人抱怨的一种讽刺性回应,暗示对方太小题大做了,或者他们的问题根本不值得同情。'去哭吧,哭到能汇成一条河——我也不在乎。'
Un rechazo sarcástico de la queja de alguien, dando a entender que está siendo exageradamente dramático o que su problema no merece compasión. 'Venga, llora tanto que llenes un río — me sigue dando igual.'
相手の不満を皮肉たっぷりに一蹴する表現。大げさだったり、同情に値しない問題だという意味を込めている。「川ができるほど泣けばいい——それでも気にしないけどね」というニュアンス。
상대의 불평을 비꼬며 일축하는 표현으로, 과장하고 있거나 동정할 만한 문제가 아니라는 뜻이다. '강이 될 만큼 실컷 울어봐 — 그래도 관심 없으니까.'

Examples

  1. You got a B+ instead of an A? Cry me a river.
    你得了B+而不是A?少在这装可怜了。
    ¿Sacaste un notable alto en vez de un sobresaliente? Anda, no me llores.
    A+じゃなくてB+だったって?泣きたきゃ勝手に泣けば。
    A+ 대신 B+ 받았다고? 쯧, 불쌍하기도 하지.
  2. Oh, your expensive car got a scratch? Cry me a river.
    哦,你的豪车被刮了?真是可怜啊。
    ¿Que tu coche caro tiene un arañazo? Pobrecito, anda ya.
    高級車にキズがついた?はいはい、かわいそうに。
    비싼 차에 흠집이 났다고? 아이고, 가여워라.
  3. He was whining about working until 5 PM. Cry me a river.
    他在抱怨要工作到下午五点。谁在乎啊。
    Se quejaba de tener que trabajar hasta las cinco. No me hagas llorar.
    彼は17時まで仕事だって愚痴ってた。知らんがな。
    그는 오후 5시까지 일한다고 투덜거렸어. 알 바 아니야.

Pronunciation

Usage Guide

Context: dismissal, sarcasm, unsympathetic responses

Tone: sarcastic, unsympathetic

✓ Do Say

  • Cry me a river.
    Cry me a river.
    No me llores.
    泣きたきゃ勝手に泣けば。
    울고 싶으면 울어.
  • Oh, cry me a river!
    Oh, cry me a river!
    Anda, ¡no me hagas llorar!
    はいはい、かわいそうに!
    아이고, 불쌍하기도 해라!

✗ Don't Say

  • Genuinely hurtful if said about a real problem.
    如果对方面临的是真正的困难,说这话会很伤人。
    Genuinamente hiriente si se dice ante un problema real.
    本当に深刻な問題に対して使うと、ひどく傷つけてしまう。
    실제 심각한 문제에 대해 사용하면 정말로 상처가 된다.

Origin & History

Originally a 1953 song by Arthur Hamilton, later made famous by Justin Timberlake's 2002 hit 'Cry Me a River.' The phrase became a go-to sarcastic dismissal in American English.

Cultural Context

Era: Classic — still current

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Regional notes: All regions

More From This Topic

I can't even ★★★★★ I'm so overwhelmed, frustrated, or amused that I can't co... Same ★★★★★ I relate to that completely; I feel exactly the same way. Hold my beer ★★★★★ Watch this — I'm about to do something either impressive ... Been there, done that ★★★★★ I've already experienced that; it's nothing new to me. That's a wrap ★★★★★ We're done; it's finished; everything is complete. Go big or go home ★★★★★ Either give maximum effort or don't bother; commit fully ...
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