泣不成声
qì bù chéng shēng
to choke with sobs; to cry too hard to speak
Character by character
泣qì
weep
weep
不bù
not
not
成chéng
form
form
声shēng
voice
voice
Example
说起去世的母亲，他泣不成声，再也说不下去了。
When he spoke of his late mother he choked with sobs and could not go on.
Tone: neutral.
Usage and origin
泣 is to weep. Stronger than 热泪盈眶 (eyes brimming): the tears stop the voice. Common after 早已, 一度 or 激动得, and said of joy as well as grief, as at a reunion.
Learn this in Lesson 153 · HSK 7–9: 宝贝回家 (Bringing the children home)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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