tai4 huk1啼哭
Jyutpingtai4 huk1
Yaletàih hūk
Definition
To weep, wail, or cry aloud out of sadness.
writtenemotionpeople
How it's used
Literary in nature, this term is rarely used in casual daily speech to describe simple tears. It specifically implies loud, vocalized sobbing or wailing rather than quiet weeping. Using it in a standard conversation often sounds overly dramatic or like a line from a period drama.
Examples
The child is crying there, looking very sad.
Why are you crying? What happened?
Related words
Common phrases
crying non-stop
Common mistake
Learners often use this as a direct synonym for the everyday verb 喊, but 喊 is the standard, neutral word for crying. Using 啼哭 in a normal context can make you sound like you are reading from a book or trying to be poetic.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
