leoi6淚泪
Jyutpingleoi6
Yaleleuih
Definition
Tears; secretions from the lacrimal glands to lubricate the eyes or express extreme emotion.
neutralbodyemotion
How it's used
While 淚 is the formal character for tear, spoken Cantonese almost exclusively uses 眼淚 when referring to the liquid itself. Using 淚 alone in a sentence often sounds poetic or literary, similar to how one might use 'tear' versus 'teardrop' in English. It is most commonly encountered in idioms or compound words like 淚腺 or 淚水.
Measure word
dik6滴dikhExamples
He shed many tears after watching the movie.
Why are you shedding tears all of a sudden?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often use 淚 as a standalone noun in casual speech, but it sounds unnatural. Always pair it with 眼 or use the full word 眼淚 to sound like a native speaker.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
