流泪
liú lèi · HSK 7
to shed tears
😢💧 流泪 = 流 (to flow) + 泪 (tears): flowing tears
流 means to flow or stream; 泪 is the character for tears (氵water radical + 目 eye, so water from the eye). Together: tears flowing down, i.e. to shed tears.
流 — water radical 氵 + 㐬 (phonetic, child being born)
流 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The water radical 氵 gives the meaning, while 㐬 depicts an infant being born head-down with amniotic fluid, suggesting downward flow. Together they convey water flowing, and by extension 'to flow' or 'current'.
泪 — water radical 氵 + eye 目
泪 is a semantic compound combining the water radical 氵 with 目 (eye), literally depicting water from the eye — tears. It is the modern simplified form of the older character 淚, which used 戾 as a phonetic component. The newer 泪 form is purely meaning-based and easier to remember.