竟无语凝噎

竟無語凝噎

jìng wúyǔ níng yē

quotation

Meanings

1 in the end wordless, choked up
2 Liu Yong's line from a parting ci - the lovers cannot speak, throats tight with weeping

Characters

in the end / unexpectedly

congeal / freeze

Examples

HSK 6

读到这段故事的结尾，她竟无语凝噎。

Dú dào zhè duàn gùshi de jiéwěi, tā jìng wúyǔ níng yē.

Reading the end of the story, she was wordless, choked up.

HSK 7-9

机场送别时，两人相拥，竟无语凝噎。

Jīchǎng sòngbié shí, liǎng rén xiāngyōng, jìng wúyǔ níng yē.

At the airport farewell the two embraced, wordless and choked up.

Tips

history

From 《雨霖铃·寒蝉凄切》 by 柳永 (Liu Yong, Northern Song), a canonical parting ci: '执手相看泪眼，竟无语凝噎.' Pairs with 今宵酒醒何处？杨柳岸，晓风残月 later in the same ci - Liu Yong's signature heartbreak-in-a-harbor mood.

usage

噎 = 'choke on something' (same character as in 因噎废食). Here 凝噎 = 'congealed sob / choked silence.'

Stroke Order

竟 jìng

无 wú

语 yǔ

凝 níng

噎 yē