Explanation at your level:
You use 눈물 흘리다 when you are sad. If your eyes are wet, you are doing this. It is a very basic way to talk about crying. You can say 'I am crying' by using this phrase.
At this level, you can use it to describe why you are crying. For example, 'I shed tears because the movie was sad.' It is a very common phrase for daily life stories.
You can now use it with adverbs. 'He shed tears silently' or 'She shed tears of joy.' It helps you describe the way someone is crying, which adds more detail to your storytelling.
Use this in more complex sentences. 'Despite his tough exterior, he could not help but shed tears.' It shows a contrast between personality and emotion, which is a great way to use the phrase.
In advanced writing, you might use it to describe a character's internal state. It is often used in literature to show a character's vulnerability or a moment of profound realization. It carries more weight than just the verb 'to cry'.
At the mastery level, you understand the nuance between 울다 (to cry) and 눈물 흘리다 (to shed tears). The latter is more poetic and evocative, often used in formal speeches or high-quality literary works to emphasize the visual aspect of the emotion.
Wort in 30 Sekunden
- Means to shed tears.
- Used for sadness or joy.
- Common in literature.
- Native Korean origin.
The phrase 눈물 흘리다 is the standard Korean way to say 'to shed tears.' It is composed of 눈물 (tear) and 흘리다 (to shed/spill). Think of it as the physical manifestation of your heart's feelings.
It is used in almost every situation where crying occurs. Whether you are watching a sad movie or feeling overwhelmed by a touching moment, this phrase perfectly captures that emotional release. It is more descriptive than just saying 'to cry' because it focuses on the tears themselves.
The word 눈물 comes from the Middle Korean 눈믈, combining 눈 (eye) and 물 (water). It literally translates to 'eye water,' which is a beautiful and logical way to describe the phenomenon.
흘리다 has roots in describing the flow of liquids. Historically, this phrase has been used in literature to depict deep sorrow or repentance. It evolved from simple physical descriptions to a metaphorical tool for human expression across centuries of Korean poetry and prose.
You can use this in both formal and casual settings. It is very common to hear 눈물을 흘리다 in news reports about tragedies or in casual conversations about a sad breakup.
Common collocations include 감동의 눈물을 흘리다 (shed tears of joy/being moved) or 눈물을 펑펑 흘리다 (to cry buckets). It is a versatile phrase that fits perfectly into any narrative about human emotion.
1. 눈물이 앞을 가리다: Tears block one's vision (too sad to see). 2. 눈물을 머금다: To hold back tears. 3. 눈물을 쏙 빼다: To make someone cry hard. 4. 눈물 없이 볼 수 없다: Cannot watch without shedding tears (very touching). 5. 악어의 눈물: Crocodile tears (fake sadness).
As a verb phrase, it conjugates regularly. In polite speech, it becomes 눈물을 흘려요. In formal speech, 눈물을 흘립니다.
Pronunciation tip: The 'ㄹ' sounds are liquid and flow together. Practice saying it as 'noon-mool heul-li-da' to get the rhythm right. It does not have a plural form as it is an action, but the object 'tears' is implied as a mass noun.
Fun Fact
It is a native Korean word, not Sino-Korean.
Pronunciation Guide
Korean phonetics apply.
Korean phonetics apply.
Common Errors
- Mispronouncing ㄹ
- Confusing ㄷ and ㄸ
- Incorrect pitch
Rhymes With
Difficulty Rating
Easy
Moderate
Moderate
Easy
What to Learn Next
Prerequisites
Learn Next
Fortgeschritten
Grammar to Know
Object Particle
눈물을
Causative
흘리게 하다
Conjunction
흘리며
Examples by Level
그녀가 눈물을 흘려요.
She is shedding tears.
Present tense.
나는 눈물을 흘렸어요.
I shed tears.
Past tense.
왜 눈물을 흘려요?
Why are you shedding tears?
Question form.
눈물을 흘리지 마세요.
Do not shed tears.
Negative command.
아이가 눈물을 흘려요.
The child is shedding tears.
Subject + verb.
그는 눈물을 흘렸습니다.
He shed tears.
Formal past.
눈물을 흘리고 싶어요.
I want to shed tears.
Desire pattern.
슬퍼서 눈물을 흘려요.
I shed tears because I am sad.
Reasoning.
그 영화를 보고 눈물을 흘렸어요.
그녀는 기쁨의 눈물을 흘렸습니다.
아무도 눈물을 흘리지 않았어요.
눈물을 흘리는 모습이 슬퍼 보여요.
그는 눈물을 흘리며 사과했어요.
눈물을 흘리면서 웃었어요.
왜 눈물을 흘리고 있나요?
너무 슬퍼서 눈물을 흘렸어요.
그는 감동적인 연설을 듣고 눈물을 흘렸다.
그녀는 눈물을 흘리며 마지막 인사를 했다.
눈물을 흘리는 것은 부끄러운 일이 아니다.
그는 눈물을 흘리지 않으려고 애썼다.
그녀의 눈물을 흘리는 모습이 기억에 남는다.
눈물을 흘리며 고백하는 것이 쉽지 않았다.
그는 눈물을 흘리며 집을 떠났다.
많은 사람이 슬픔에 눈물을 흘렸다.
그는 자신의 과오를 뉘우치며 눈물을 흘렸다.
그녀는 눈물을 흘리며 억울함을 호소했다.
눈물을 흘리는 것조차 사치인 상황이었다.
그는 눈물을 흘리면서도 미소를 잃지 않았다.
눈물을 흘리는 그녀를 보며 마음이 아팠다.
그는 눈물을 흘리며 지난날을 회상했다.
그녀는 눈물을 흘리며 감사의 말을 전했다.
눈물을 흘리는 관객들이 많았다.
그는 눈물을 흘리며 자신의 운명을 받아들였다.
그녀는 눈물을 흘리는 대신 침묵을 선택했다.
눈물을 흘리는 것은 그에게 고통의 해방이었다.
그는 눈물을 흘리며 진실을 털어놓았다.
그녀의 눈물을 흘리는 모습에서 깊은 슬픔이 느껴졌다.
눈물을 흘리는 것은 인간의 자연스러운 감정이다.
그는 눈물을 흘리며 새로운 시작을 다짐했다.
눈물을 흘리는 이들의 마음을 누가 알겠는가.
그는 눈물을 흘리며 지난 세월의 회한을 토로했다.
눈물을 흘리는 행위는 때로 말보다 더 큰 울림을 준다.
그녀는 눈물을 흘리며 고통스러운 기억을 씻어냈다.
눈물을 흘리는 것은 감정의 정화 과정이다.
그는 눈물을 흘리며 삶의 덧없음을 노래했다.
그녀는 눈물을 흘리며 숭고한 희생을 기렸다.
눈물을 흘리는 이에게 따뜻한 위로가 필요하다.
그는 눈물을 흘리며 잃어버린 꿈을 회상했다.
Häufige Kollokationen
Idioms & Expressions
"눈물이 앞을 가리다"
Tears block vision due to sadness.
슬퍼서 눈물이 앞을 가렸다.
neutral"눈물을 머금다"
To hold back tears.
그녀는 눈물을 머금고 참았다.
neutral"눈물을 쏙 빼다"
To make someone cry hard.
그는 나에게 눈물을 쏙 빼게 했다.
casual"악어의 눈물"
Fake tears.
그것은 악어의 눈물일 뿐이다.
neutral"눈물 없이 볼 수 없다"
Too touching to watch without crying.
그 영화는 눈물 없이 볼 수 없다.
neutral"눈물 젖은 빵"
Bread eaten with tears (hardship).
그는 눈물 젖은 빵을 먹으며 자랐다.
literaryEasily Confused
Both mean cry.
울다 is general, 흘리다 is specific.
그가 울었다 vs 눈물을 흘렸다.
Both mean cry.
통곡 is loud wailing.
그는 통곡했다.
Both mean cry.
흐느끼다 is sobbing.
그녀가 흐느꼈다.
Both mean cry.
울먹이다 is starting to cry.
그가 울먹였다.
Sentence Patterns
Subject + 눈물을 + 흘리다
그가 눈물을 흘렸다.
Subject + 감동의 + 눈물을 + 흘리다
그녀가 감동의 눈물을 흘렸다.
Subject + 눈물을 + 흘리며 + Verb
그는 눈물을 흘리며 말했다.
Subject + 눈물을 + 흘리지 + 않다
그는 눈물을 흘리지 않았다.
Subject + 눈물을 + 흘릴 + 뻔했다
그는 눈물을 흘릴 뻔했다.
Wortfamilie
Nouns
Verbs
Adjectives
Verwandt
How to Use It
8
Formality Scale
Häufige Fehler
You don't 'cry tears', you 'shed tears'.
흘리다 implies a deliberate or strong action.
쏟다 means 'to pour'.
Causative form is correct.
Grammatically perfect.
Tips
Memory Palace
Imagine your eyes as faucets.
Native Usage
Use it when describing a scene.
Cultural Insight
Koreans value emotional expression.
Grammar Shortcut
Always use the object particle.
Say It Right
Focus on the 'l' sounds.
Don't Make This Mistake
Don't use '울다' as an object.
Did You Know?
It is a native Korean word.
Study Smart
Use it in sentences.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Noon (eye) + Mool (water) = Eye water.
Visual Association
Water flowing from an eye.
Word Web
Herausforderung
Describe a sad moment in your life.
Wortherkunft
Korean
Original meaning: Eye water
Kultureller Kontext
None.
The concept is universal, but 'shedding tears' is more formal than 'crying'.
Practice in Real Life
Real-World Contexts
Movies
- 눈물을 흘리며 봤다
- 눈물 없이 볼 수 없다
Relationships
- 눈물을 흘리며 이별했다
- 눈물을 닦아주다
Success
- 기쁨의 눈물을 흘리다
Tragedy
- 슬픔에 눈물을 흘리다
Conversation Starters
"When was the last time you shed tears?"
"Do you cry during movies?"
"What makes you shed tears of joy?"
"Is it okay for men to shed tears?"
"How do you comfort someone who is shedding tears?"
Journal Prompts
Write about a time you shed tears of joy.
Describe a sad movie scene.
Why do we shed tears?
How does shedding tears help?
Häufig gestellte Fragen
8 FragenNo, it can be for joy too.
Yes, it is poetic.
It is neutral.
울다 is the action of crying, 눈물 흘리다 is the visual act of shedding tears.
Yes.
Very common.
Yes, it means to pour tears.
눈물을 흘리고 있어요.
Teste dich selbst
그녀가 ___ 흘려요.
Object particle is needed.
What does '눈물 흘리다' mean?
It means to shed tears.
Can you use '눈물 흘리다' for joy?
Yes, tears of joy exist.
Word
Bedeutung
Literal translation.
Subject-Object-Verb order.
Ergebnis: /5
Summary
눈물 흘리다 is the most descriptive way to express the act of shedding tears in Korean.
- Means to shed tears.
- Used for sadness or joy.
- Common in literature.
- Native Korean origin.
Memory Palace
Imagine your eyes as faucets.
Native Usage
Use it when describing a scene.
Cultural Insight
Koreans value emotional expression.
Grammar Shortcut
Always use the object particle.
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아파하다
A2To feel pain or sorrow.
감탄스럽다
A2To be admirable or wonderful; to inspire awe.
감탄
A2Admiration or marvel; a feeling of wonder.
감탄하다
A2To admire or to marvel; to express wonder.
기특하다
B1Admirable for a good deed or thought; commendable.
충고
B1Guidance or recommendations offered with regard to prudent future action; advice.
애정
B1Affection; a gentle feeling of fondness or liking.
애틋하다
B2To be tender, fond, or wistful.
살갑다
B2To be warm, friendly, affectionate.
