泪

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(bound form) tears; teardrops

Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Ideographic compound (会意字)

Water 氵 from the eyes 目

Components 氵目

tears · Heisig RSH #1530

水 water + eyeball

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
一字一泪	yī zì yī lèi	each word is a teardrop (idiom)
男儿有泪不轻弹	nán ér yǒu lèi bù qīng tán	real men do not easily cry (idiom)
泪流满面	lèi liú mǎn miàn	cheeks streaming with tears (idiom)
泪如雨下	lèi rú yǔ xià	tears falling like rain (idiom)
以泪洗面	yǐ lèi xǐ miàn	to bathe one's face in tears (idiom)
泪点低	lèi diǎn dī	(neologism) easily moved to tears
泪人	lèi rén	person who is crying their eyes out, whose face is wet with tears
泪水	lèi shuǐ	teardrop; tears
血泪史	xuè lèi shǐ	(fig.) history full of suffering; heart-rending story; CL:部[bu4]
泪花	lèi huā	tears in the eyes
泪眼	lèi yǎn	tearful eyes
眼泪	yǎn lèi	tear; teardrop; CL:滴[di1]
泪光	lèi guāng	glistening teardrops
泪点	lèi diǎn	(anatomy) lacrimal punctum; (literary) tears; (neologism c. 2015) the point at which one i…
流泪	liú lèi	to shed tears
泪管	lèi guǎn	tear duct
血泪	xuè lèi	tears of blood (symbol of extreme suffering); blood and tears
热泪	rè lèi	hot tears
泪目	lèi mù	tearful eyes; to be moved to tears
催泪大片	cuī lèi dà piàn	tear-jerker (movie)