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血の涙 (ちのなみだ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
expression, noun
bitter tears ; tears of blood
Figurative expression for tears shed in extreme grief, anguish, or hardship. The literal meaning 'tears of blood' is also understood but the phrase is almost always used figuratively.
Similar words 涙なみだ General word for 'tears'. 血の涙 is a specific figurative phrase for tears of extreme sorrow.
血けつ 涙るい Sino-Japanese compound with the same literal meaning, often used in similar figurative contexts but more formal/literary.
Etymology Compound of 血 (chi, 'blood') + の (no, possessive particle) + 涙 (namida, 'tears'). The figurative use is ancient and appears in classical literature.
悲かな
しかっ
た
。
Hearing that story, I was so sad I could have wept tears of blood.