Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 哭 | kū | /kʰu⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /kʰu²¹/ (Mandarin, Chengdu, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 流眼淚 / 流眼泪 | liú yǎnlèi | ||
| 流淚 / 流泪 | liúlèi | ||
| 泣 | qì | /t͡ɕʰi⁵¹/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /jɐp̚⁵/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) |
literary |
| 哭泣 | kūqì | /kʰu⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi⁵¹/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /hʊk̚⁵ jɐp̚⁵/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) |
|
| 吼 | háu | /hau⁵³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Philippines, Sinological IPA, Taipei, Dehua, General Taiwanese) /hau⁵⁵⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Philippines, Sinological IPA, Dehua, General Taiwanese) |
Hokkien |
| 哭 | khàu | /kʰau²¹/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Sinological IPA, Xiamen) /kʰɔk̚³²/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Sinological IPA, Xiamen) |
Hokkien |
The most common and general term for crying is 哭. You can also use the phrase 流眼泪 or 流泪 to describe the physical act of shedding tears. For more descriptive or intense situations, you might encounter 哭哭啼啼 to describe continuous crying or the informal expression 哭得稀里哗啦 to describe someone crying so much they are making loud and messy noises.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 流眼泪 literally means 'to flow eye-tears', composed of 流 (to flow), 眼 (eye) and 泪 (tear).
Which one should you use?
While 哭 is the general term, 泣 is a literary term often used in written texts to describe quiet weeping or sobbing. The two-character compound 哭泣 is a more formal way to say 'to weep' or 'to cry', used in serious or descriptive contexts compared to the single character 哭. In contrast, 叫喊 refers to shouting or screaming rather than shedding tears.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Hokkien, you may use 吼 or 哭. In Dungan, the word кў is used.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When you add the particle 了 after 哭 to form 哭了, it indicates a change of state, such as 'started to cry' or 'has begun to cry'.
How do you pronounce it?
khàu (/kʰu⁵⁵/)
Did you know?
- In traditional Chinese culture, professional mourners were sometimes hired to 哭 loudly at funerals to show the prestige and grief of the family.
- The character 哭 contains the component 犬, which means 'dog', but this is actually a corruption of an ancient symbol for a person with long hair.
- In the Dungan language, which is a variety of Chinese spoken in Central Asia, the word for 'cry' is кў.
Examples in context
- 他开始哭了。He began to cry.This sentence shows how to indicate the beginning of a crying state using 哭.Tatoeba #5715130 by verdastelo9604, translation #295240 by CK
- 我可要哭了。I think I'm going to cry.This sentence demonstrates a prediction of an upcoming emotional state using 哭.Tatoeba #6044371 by verdastelo9604, translation #2407900 by CK
- 笑总比哭好。It's better to laugh than to cry.This sentence compares the act of laughing to the act of 哭.Tatoeba #10552176 by GlossaMatik, translation #6815888 by Micsmithel
- 他看到悲伤的新闻，禁不住哭了起来。When he saw the sad news, he couldn't help but cry.
- 别为了一点小事哭哭啼啼的。Don't cry over something so trivial.
- 孩子因为失去玩具而哭哭啼啼。The child cried inconsolably because he lost his toy.
- 那位歌手唱得太动情，观众都哭得稀里哗啦的。The singer performed so emotionally that the audience cried uncontrollably.
- 看到那段感人的电影时，我哭得稀里哗啦的。When I watched that touching movie, I cried my heart out.
- 58 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Xiaowen sees Zhiqiang looking sad after a movie.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen你怎么在哭？Nǐ zěnme zài kū?Why are you crying?
- 志强 Zhiqiang这个电影太感人了。Zhège diànyǐng tài gǎnrén le.This movie was too touching.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen你别哭啦，结束了。Nǐ bié kū la, jiéshù le.Stop crying, it's over.
- 志强 Zhiqiang我忍不住想哭。Wǒ rěnbuzhù xiǎng kū.I couldn't help but cry.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cry” translations and entries 哭, 泣, 哭泣, 吼, 哭, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 吼, 哭, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
