Dong Chinese dictionary

qì

cry

Phonosemantic compound. 氵 represents the meaning and 立 represents the sound.

Components

氵 Meaning component

shui, shuǐ

water

氵 is a component form of 水.

立 Sound component

lì

stand

泣 and 立 don't sound similar in modern Mandarin due to historical phonetic changes. They were more similar in older Chinese.泣 /*k-r̥əp/
立 /*k.rəp/

Evolution

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical script

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Regular script

Modern

Definitions

qì

cry, sob, weep; to sob

Most common words with 泣

Sources