kū
骷
to cry; to weep; to sob
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
3 senses · 7 examplesverb
to cry; to weep; to shed tears
The most general word for crying, often with sound. Can be used for humans and sometimes animals.
Yīng婴
ér儿
è饿
le了
jiù就
huì会
kū哭
。
Babies cry when they are hungry.
Tīng听
dào到
nà那
gè个
bēi悲
shāng伤
de的
gù故
shi事
，
tā她
rěn忍
bú不
zhù住
kū哭
le了
。
When she heard that sad story, she couldn't help but cry.
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Tā他
kū哭
dé得
yǎn眼
jīng睛
dōu都
zhǒng肿
le了
。
He cried so much that his eyes became swollen.
verb
to sob; to cry bitterly
literaryImplies a more intense, heartbroken, or sorrowful crying. Often used in literary contexts.
Tā她
zài在
zhàng丈
fu夫
de的
zàng葬
lǐ礼
shàng上
shī失
shēng声
tòng痛
kū哭
。
She cried bitterly at her husband's funeral.
Tā他
bào抱
zhe着
péng朋
you友
de的
zhào照
piàn片
kū哭
sù诉
。
He sobbed while telling his story, holding a photo of his friend.
verb
to lament; to wail
literaryLiterary usage, meaning to express grief or complaint, not necessarily with tears. Often seen in idioms or classical Chinese.
Dù杜
Fǔ甫
céng曾
wèi为
bǎi百
xìng姓
kū哭
sù诉
zhàn战
luàn乱
zhī之
kǔ苦
。
Du Fu once lamented the suffering of war on behalf of the common people.
kū哭
tiān天
qiāng抢
dì地
。
to wail and lament to heaven and earth (a state of extreme grief).