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Chinese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "cry" in Chinese?
哭泣
kū qì
In Chinese, "cry" is 哭泣 (kū qì).
Listen to the pronunciation:
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Pronunciation
Sound it out "kū qì", first tone, then fourth tone, so held flat and steady, almost like humming one note; then the next syllable is snapping downward fast.
Writing and usage
哭泣 is written using hanzi. It's a verb, part of the vocabulary taught in the Noun Town language learning game.
Example sentence
婴儿开始哭泣。
yīng ér kāi shǐ kū qì 。
The baby began to cry.
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How to remember 哭泣
Think of the exact scene of when the baby began to cry; it pairs naturally with the sound "kū qì".
Related words
Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.
Questions about 哭泣
How do you pronounce 哭泣?
Sound it out "kū qì", first tone, then fourth tone, so held flat and steady, almost like humming one note; then the next syllable is snapping downward fast.
Is 哭泣 formal or casual?
哭泣 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.
How is 哭泣 used in Chinese?
哭泣 is used the same way as the equivalent English verb. For example: 婴儿开始哭泣。 (The baby began to cry.).
Where can I practice Chinese words for free?
You can play free Chinese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, no sign-up required. Every word in the Chinese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.
"Cry" in other languages
Curated by Callan Ratcliffe
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