啼 (tí) - To cry & to weep

啼Tone 2

tí ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

檀婷

啼 · tí

To cry;

to weep;

to wail;

to crow;

to sing (of birds);

to chirp.

To cryto weepto wail

Usage highlights

To cryTo crowTo singMonkey cryCuckoo's callTearful weeping

Synonyms

  • 哭— to cry, to weep
  • 鸣— to sound, to sing (of birds/animals)
  • 叫— to call, to shout

Antonyms

  • 笑— to laugh, to smile
  • 静— quiet, silent

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The baby cried loudly (婴儿啼哭).
  • The rooster crows at dawn (雄鸡啼鸣).
  • Birds sing in the morning (鸟儿啼叫).
  • He wept bitterly (他悲啼不止).

Collocations

  • To cry(啼哭)
  • To crow(啼鸣)
  • To sing (of birds)(啼叫)
  • Monkey cry(猿啼)
  • Cuckoo's call(杜鹃啼)
  • Tearful weeping(啼泣)

Idioms

  • Cry like the cuckoo, weep like the gibbon(杜鹃啼血，猿猴哀啼)
  • The rooster crows and the dog steals(鸡啼狗盗)
  • Crying until tears turn to blood(啼血)
  • Crying at the moon(对月啼)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Often used in classical poetry to describe bird songs and animal cries, creating melancholic or natural imagery.
  • In traditional medicine, 'night crying' (夜啼) refers to a condition where infants cry excessively at night.
  • The cuckoo's cry (杜鹃啼) is a common poetic motif symbolizing spring or sorrow.

FAQ