Definition

1. Verb:
   • To cry; to weep: To shed tears, typically as an expression of strong emotion such as sadness, grief, pain, or sometimes extreme happiness.
   • To wail; to bawl: To cry loudly, often used specifically for the loud crying of a child or infant.
   • To lament; to mourn: To express grief, sorrow, or regret, often in a formal or literary way, such as in a eulogy or poem.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Em bé khóc đòi mẹ. (The baby is crying for its mother.)
  • Cô ấy khóc khi nghe tin buồn. (She cried when she heard the sad news.)
  • Nhà thơ khóc người bạn đã khuất trong bài thơ của mình. (The poet lamented his departed friend in his poem.)

Advanced Usage

• "khóc than": to wail and lament; to express grief vocally.

  • Người phụ nữ khóc than bên mộ. (The woman wailed by the graveside.)

• "khóc lóc": to cry persistently or whimper.

  • Nó cứ khóc lóc cả ngày. (He just kept crying all day.)

Variants and Related Words

• Khóc sướt mướt (v): to cry one's eyes out; to cry pitifully.

  • Đứa trẻ khóc sướt mướt vì bị mất đồ chơi. (The child cried its eyes out because it lost its toy.)

• Khóc thét (v): to scream-cry; to let out a loud, sharp cry.

  • Đứa trẻ khóc thét lên khi bị ngã. (The child screamed when it fell.)

Synonyms

• Weep: to shed tears quietly.
• Sob: to cry noisily, catching the breath.
• Bawl: to cry loudly and unrestrainedly.
• Lament: to express passionate grief.

Related Idioms

• Khóc như mưa: to cry profusely (literally: to cry like rain).

  • Nghe tin ấy, cô ấy khóc như mưa. (Hearing that news, she cried profusely.)

• Khóc dở mếu dở: to be on the verge of crying; to have a face about to cry.

  • Đứa trẻ mặt khóc dở mếu dở vì sợ bị mắng. (The child had a face about to cry because it was afraid of being scolded.)

• Cười người hôm trước hôm sau người cười: to mock someone one day only to be in a similar plight the next (often implying one might soon be the one crying).

  • Đừng chê ai, kẻo "cười người hôm trước hôm sau người cười". (Don't look down on anyone, lest you mock someone today and be in their shoes tomorrow.)

verb

1. to cry; to weep; to shed tears
   • khóc sướt mướt
     to cry one's eyes out