泣

To weep, sob, or shed tears. This includes the hyperbolic trope 泣血 ("weeping blood") to signal extreme remorse or agony.

Primarily functions as an intransitive verb.

Contrasted with 哭 (//kū//). While 哭 typically denotes loud, audible wailing associated with public grief or ritual funeral rites, 泣 generally refers to quiet, private, or suppressed sobbing. This distinction collapses in the compound 哭泣, which indicates a general state of weeping.

When used alone, the implication of "silent" or internalized grief is often a deliberate authorial choice. The term frequently emphasizes the physical act of sobbing (the rhythmic catch of breath), a nuance reinforced in the compound 啜泣.