痛哭流涕

tòngkūliútì
idiom #28,772

Meanings

  1. 1 to weep bitterly
  2. 2 to cry one's eyes out
  3. 3 weeping with tears streaming down

Examples

Tīngdào èhào, tā dāngchǎng tòngkū liútì.
On hearing the terrible news, she burst into bitter tears on the spot.
Tā zài zhìcí jiéshù shí tòngkū liútì, lìng rén dòngrǒng.
He wept bitterly at the end of his speech, moving everyone present.

Tips

memory
Each character adds intensity: (agonizing) + (cry) + (flow) + (tears/snot) — agonizing crying with tears and mucus flowing. It paints a complete, vivid picture of uncontrolled weeping.

Stroke Order

tòng
liú