噙 (qín) - To hold in the mouth or eyes & to contain without spilling or shedding

噙Tone 2

qín ｜ 15 strokes ｜ radical:

器情

噙 · qín

To hold in the mouth or eyes;

to contain without spilling or shedding;

to keep something (like tears or water) contained.

To hold in the mouth or eyesto contain without spilling or sheddingto keep something (like tears or water) contained.

Usage highlights

Hold tearsHold in the mouthEyes holding tearsContaining a bitter fruitBird holding foodContaining smile

Synonyms

  • 含— to contain in the mouth; to hold
  • 衔— to hold in the mouth; to harbor

Antonyms

  • 吐— to spit out; to vomit
  • 流— to flow; to shed (tears)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • She held back tears (噙着眼泪).
  • The bird held a worm in its beak (鸟儿嘴里噙着一条虫).
  • He spoke with tears in his eyes (他眼里噙着泪说道).
  • The flower held dewdrops (花朵噙着露珠).

Collocations

  • Hold tears(噙泪)
  • Hold in the mouth(噙在嘴里)
  • Eyes holding tears(眼噙泪水)
  • Containing a bitter fruit(噙着苦果)
  • Bird holding food(鸟儿噙食)
  • Containing smile(噙着笑意)

Idioms

  • Tears welling up in the eyes(热泪盈眶)
  • Swallow one's pride(忍气吞声)
  • Bite the bullet(含辛茹苦)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Often used in literary contexts to describe suppressed emotions, particularly tears held back.
  • Common in classical Chinese poetry and prose to depict subtle emotional states.
  • Used in traditional medicine for methods where medicine is held in the mouth to dissolve slowly.

FAQ