可歌可泣

kěgē-kěqì

idiom HSK 7 #46,840

Meanings

1 heroic and moving; worthy of song and tears

Characters

Literally 'worthy of singing about, worthy of crying over' — so noble and moving it deserves both celebration and tears.

Examples

他们的英勇事迹可歌可泣。

Tāmen de yīngyǒng shìjì kěgē-kěqì.

Their heroic deeds are worthy of song and tears.

这是一个可歌可泣的故事。

Zhè shì yí ge kěgē-kěqì de gùshi.

This is a heroic and deeply moving story.

Tips

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可歌可泣 is literary and formal — you'll see it in essays, speeches, and news about heroic deeds, but rarely in casual conversation. It's the kind of idiom that shows up in HSK exams and patriotic writing.

Stroke Order

可 kě

歌 gē

泣 qì