哭泣
kū qì HSK 6

English Meaning

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📚 Example Sentences

孩子因为摔倒而哭泣。
Háizi yīnwèi shuāidǎo ér kūqì.
The child is crying because he fell down.
她独自在房间里哭泣。
Tā dúzì zài fángjiān lǐ kūqì.
She is crying alone in the room.
听到坏消息,他开始哭泣。
Tīngdào huài xiāoxi, tā kāishǐ kūqì.
Upon hearing the bad news, he started to weep.
她在哭泣。
Tā zài kūqì.
She is weeping.
孩子哭泣了。
Háizi kūqì le.
The child cried.

💡 Memory Tip

Remember 哭泣 by breaking it down: 哭 (kū) means 'cry' and 泣 (qì) also means 'weep', so it's a double reinforcement of the act of crying.

📝 Usage Notes

It is used in both written and formal spoken contexts to describe crying due to sadness, pain, or strong emotion. It is less common in casual daily conversation, where 哭 (kū) alone is more frequently used.

📖 Grammar Points

It functions as an intransitive verb and does not take a direct object (e.g., 她在哭泣). It can be modified by adverbs like 伤心地 (sadly) or 不停地 (incessantly).

🏯 Cultural Notes

While expressing grief is accepted, traditional culture sometimes values emotional restraint, making public or excessive 哭泣 less common in formal settings.

🔄 Similar Words

The single character 哭 (kū) is a more general and common term for 'to cry'. 流泪 (liú lèi) means 'to shed tears' and focuses more on the physical act, often with less audible sobbing.

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