A2 noun Neutral #3,000 most common 1 min read

眼泪

yan lei /jɛn˨˩˦ lei˧˥/
Practice it

Tears are the physical manifestation of our deepest emotions, whether happy or sad.

Word in 30 Seconds

  • Transparent liquid secreted by eyes.
  • Often caused by strong emotions.
  • Used to express deep feelings.

Overview

  1. 1概览：眼泪（yǎnlèi）是人类最基础的生理现象之一，也是情感交流的载体。在汉语中，它不仅仅指生理上的液体，更常被赋予文学和情感色彩。2) 用法模式：眼泪通常作为名词使用，常见的动词搭配有“流眼泪”、“掉眼泪”、“擦眼泪”、“忍住眼泪”。它在句子中常作宾语，例如“她流下了感动的眼泪”。3) 常见情境：在日常生活中，眼泪常与悲伤（如失恋、痛苦）、喜悦（如重逢、感动）或生理刺激（如切洋葱、进沙子）相关联。在文学作品中，眼泪常被用来渲染悲剧氛围或表现角色的内心挣扎。4) 近义词辨析：“泪水”与“眼泪”基本通用，但“泪水”在文学描写中更具画面感；“泪滴”则强调形态，多用于形容词性的描述；“热泪”特指因激动而流出的眼泪，带有强烈的情感色彩。

Examples

1

她伤心地流下了眼泪。

everyday

She shed tears sadly.

2

他眼中噙满了感动的泪水。

formal

His eyes were filled with tears of emotion.

3

别掉眼泪了，一切都会好起来的。

informal

Don't cry; everything will be okay.

4

眼泪的成分主要由水和盐分组成。

academic

The composition of tears is mainly water and salt.

Common Collocations

流眼泪 to shed tears
擦眼泪 to wipe away tears
忍住眼泪 to hold back tears

Common Phrases

眼泪汪汪

teary-eyed

一把鼻涕一把眼泪

crying bitterly

鳄鱼的眼泪

crocodile tears

Often Confused With

眼泪 vs 泪水

While '眼泪' is the neutral term, '泪水' has a stronger literary or emotional nuance. '泪水' is often used in descriptive writing.

眼泪 vs 哭

'眼泪' is a noun (tears), whereas '哭' is a verb (to cry). You cannot say 'I am tears' (我眼泪) to mean 'I am crying'.

Grammar Patterns

流下眼泪 擦干眼泪 止不住眼泪

How to Use It

Usage Notes

The word '眼泪' is neutral and can be used in almost any context. When speaking formally or writing poetry, '泪水' is often preferred for better flow. Always pair it with appropriate verbs like '流' or '擦' to ensure grammatical correctness.

Common Mistakes

Learners often use '眼泪' as a verb, which is incorrect. Another common mistake is using '眼泪' when referring to the act of crying, instead of using the verb '哭'. Remember that '眼泪' is the physical object, not the action.

Tips

💡

Use with verbs like 'flow' or 'wipe'

Pair '眼泪' with '流' (flow) for the action of crying, or '擦' (wipe) for cleaning them away. This makes your sentences sound natural and precise.

⚠️

Don't confuse with 'tearing' as a verb

In Chinese, '眼泪' is strictly a noun. If you want to say 'to cry', use the verb '哭' (kū) instead of using '眼泪' as an action.

🌍

Tears as a sign of sincerity

In many Chinese contexts, 'tears' are seen as a sign of sincerity or deep emotional connection. Showing them is often viewed as being authentic.

Word Origin

The character '眼' represents the eye, and '泪' represents the liquid from the eye. Historically, these characters have been used for centuries to describe the physical reaction to sorrow.

Cultural Context

In Chinese culture, tears are often viewed as a sign of deep emotion. While 'men don't cry' is a traditional saying, modern perspectives acknowledge that showing tears is a human trait.

Memory Tip

Imagine an eye (眼) leaking (泪) liquid. The word '眼泪' literally translates to 'eye-tears'.

Frequently Asked Questions

4 questions

流眼泪是因为受到情绪刺激或物理刺激，如眼睛进沙子需要清理。这是人体保护眼睛和宣泄情绪的自然机制。

两者意思基本相同，都可以互换使用。“掉眼泪”听起来稍微口语化一点，而“流眼泪”则比较中性、通用。

通常不直接形容人，但可以说“某人是个爱流眼泪的人”，意指这个人比较感性或爱哭。

在文学作品中，可以使用“泪水”、“清泪”、“热泪”等词汇，它们比单纯的“眼泪”更具修辞色彩。

Test Yourself

fill blank

看到电影的结局，她忍不住___了眼泪。

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: 流

“流眼泪”是固定搭配，表示眼泪从眼睛里出来的动作。

multiple choice

下列哪项最适合形容“眼泪”？

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: 眼睛分泌的液体

眼泪是生物学上的生理分泌物。

sentence building

擦 / 他 / 的 / 眼泪 / 轻轻

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: 他轻轻地擦了眼泪

标准的中文语序是主语+状语+动词+宾语。

Score: /3

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