Definition

1. Noun:
   • Traces of tears: Refers to the visible marks or streaks left on the skin, especially under the eyes or on the cheeks, after one has cried and the tears have dried or been wiped away. It implies a remnant or sign of recent crying.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Trên má cô vẫn còn những ngấn lệ. (Traces of tears still remained on her cheeks.)
  • Anh ấy vội lau đi những ngấn lệ trước khi ai đó nhìn thấy. (He quickly wiped away the traces of tears before anyone could see.)
  • Đôi mắt đỏ và những ngấn lệ cho thấy cô bé đã khóc. (Her red eyes and the traces of tears showed that the little girl had been crying.)

Advanced Usage

• "Ngấn lệ" is a poetic and evocative noun, often used in literary, descriptive, or emotional contexts rather than in everyday casual speech. It focuses on the physical evidence of emotion.
• It can be used metaphorically to describe something that bears the mark of sadness or a poignant memory, though this is less common.
  • Bức thư cũ vẫn còn những ngấn lệ của quá khứ. (The old letter still bears the traces of tears from the past.)

Variants and Related Words

• Vết nước mắt: A more common and direct phrase meaning "tear stains" or "marks of tears." It is less poetic than "ngấn lệ."
• Lệ (noun, literary): A literary word for "tears." "Ngấn lệ" combines "ngấn" (trace, mark) with "lệ" (tears).
• Khóc (verb): To cry. "Ngấn lệ" is the result of this action.

Synonyms

• Dấu vết của nước mắt: Marks of tears.
• Vệt nước mắt: Streaks of tears.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "Ngấn lệ chưa khô": (Traces of tears not yet dry) - Emphasizes that the crying was very recent.
  • Cô ấy quay lại với đôi mắt sưng và ngấn lệ chưa khô. (She turned back with swollen eyes and traces of tears not yet dry.)
• While "ngấn lệ" itself is not typically part of a larger idiom, it frequently appears in descriptive phrases about sadness and crying in poetry and literature.

1. Traces of tears