泪

• Pinyin: lèi
• Hanzi breakdown: 泪 = 氵(water) + 目 (eye) — water from the eye, i.e. tears

Meaning

Tear; teardrop. Refers to the liquid that flows from the eyes when crying or due to irritation.

A literary and common word for tears. Often appears in written language, poetry, and emotional contexts. In everyday speech, 眼泪 is more colloquial, while 泪 alone carries a slightly more literary or condensed feel. Frequently used in compounds like 泪水, 泪珠, 含泪, 流泪.

Examples

1. 她看完那部电影以后，泪流满面。 After watching that film, her face was covered in tears.
2. 他忍住了泪，没有让别人看到他的难过。 He held back his tears and didn't let anyone see his sadness.
3. 风太大了，吹得我的泪都出来了。 The wind was so strong that it made my tears come out.

Usage Guide

Context: emotion, literature, everyday

Tone: emotional

Do Say

• 她感动得流下了泪。(She was so moved that tears flowed down.)
• 他的眼里含着泪，但还是笑了。(His eyes were filled with tears, but he still smiled.)

Don't Say

• 我的泪很咸 (While grammatically possible, 泪 is rarely used in such matter-of-fact descriptions — say 眼泪 instead for casual/physical contexts)

Origin & History

The character 泪 is composed of 氵(water radical) and 目 (eye), literally meaning water from the eye — a direct pictographic compound for tears.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal