📖 Meaning
Snot and tears flow down simultaneously, describing a state of extreme grief and sorrow. It depicts someone so overwhelmed by sadness that they lose all composure and weep uncontrollably. The idiom is interchangeable with '涕泪交零'.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the Book of Wei (《魏书》), specifically in the biography of Yuan Tan, Prince of Linhuai during the Northern Wei dynasty. When Yuan Yu heard music played by his captor Xiao Yan (founder of the Liang dynasty), he was so moved by grief and homesickness that he sobbed with tears and snot streaming down together. His sorrow was so palpable that it affected those around him, and even Xiao Yan felt displeased by the display. The phrase vividly conveys the depth of Yuan Yu's anguish as a displaced captive longing for his homeland.
💡 Example Usage
听到父亲去世的噩耗，他涕泪交下，悲痛欲绝。
Upon hearing the tragic news of his father's death, he wept uncontrollably with tears and snot streaming down, overwhelmed with grief.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 涕泪交下
- Pinyin: tì lèi jiāo xià
- Literal Translation: tears, and, snot, flow, down, together
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4