涕 (tì) - tears & nasal mucus

涕Tone 4

tì ｜ 10 strokes ｜ radical: 氵

檀婷

涕 · tì

tears;

nasal mucus;

to weep

tearsnasal mucusto weep

Usage highlights

tears streamingweep bitterlynasal mucuswipe tearstears and sniveltears flowing

Synonyms

  • 泪— tears
  • 哭— to cry
  • 泣— to weep silently

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Tears streamed down her face (涕泪交流).
  • He wiped his tears (擦涕).
  • The sad movie made everyone cry (令人涕下).
  • She had a runny nose from the cold (流涕).

Collocations

  • tears streaming(涕泪交流)
  • weep bitterly(涕泣)
  • nasal mucus(鼻涕)
  • wipe tears(拭涕)
  • tears and snivel(涕泗)
  • tears flowing(涕零)

Idioms

  • Tears streaming down like rain(涕泗滂沱)
  • Weeping and wailing(痛哭流涕)
  • So moved that tears fall(感激涕零)
  • Tears and mucus flowing freely(涕泗横流)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In classical Chinese, 涕 primarily meant 'tears', while 泗 meant 'nasal mucus'.
  • The character appears in many classical expressions describing deep emotion and grief.
  • In modern usage, 涕 more commonly refers to nasal mucus, especially in 鼻涕.
  • The character reflects the Chinese cultural acceptance of expressing emotion through tears in literature.

FAQ