well up
Phrasal Verb
BritishAmericanAustralian
★★★★☆ Common
Neutral
Meaning: For tears to form in the eyes
眼眶湿润,泪水涌上
Que se llenen los ojos de lágrimas
涙がこみ上げる
눈물이 차오르다, 눈물이 글썽이다
When emotions cause tears to fill the eyes.
情感导致眼睛充满泪水。像泉水涌出一样——泪水从内心自然涌上来。通常发生在婚礼、重逢或感人场景等情感时刻。
Cuando las emociones hacen que los ojos se llenen de lágrimas. Como el agua que brota de un manantial - las lágrimas surgen naturalmente desde dentro. A menudo ocurre durante momentos emotivos como bodas, reencuentros o escenas conmovedoras.
感情によって目に涙が溜まること。泉から水が湧き出るように、涙が内側から自然に湧き上がる。結婚式、再会、感動的な場面などの感情的な瞬間によく起こる。
감정이 북받쳐 눈에 눈물이 고이다.
Base verb: well
Particle: up
Separable: No — the verb and particle stay together
Examples
- Tears welled up in her eyes. 她眼眶湿润了Se le llenaron los ojos de lágrimas彼女の目に涙がこみ上げた그녀의 눈에 눈물이 차올랐다.
- I could feel tears welling up. 我感到泪水涌上来Sentí que se me llenaban los ojos de lágrimas涙がこみ上げてくるのを感じた눈물이 차오르는 것을 느꼈다.
- His eyes welled up during the speech. 他在演讲时眼眶湿润了Se le humedecieron los ojos durante el discursoスピーチの間、彼の目に涙が溜まった연설 중에 그의 눈에 눈물이 고였다.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: tears, emotion, sadness
Tone: poignant
✓ Do Say
- Well up眼泪涌上来Saltar las lágrimas涙がこみ上げる눈물이 차오르다
Origin & History
From water rising in a well.
Cultural Context
Era: Modern
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
More From This Topic
break down
★★★★★
To lose emotional control and start crying
cheer up
★★★★★
To become happier or make someone happier
calm down
★★★★★
To become less agitated or to make someone less upset
open up
★★★★★
To share feelings or personal information
freak out
★★★★★
To panic or become extremely upset or excited
build up
★★★★★
To gradually increase in intensity (of emotions)
More from Emotions & Feelings
Practice "well up" on WordLoci
Flashcards, quizzes, audio pronunciation & spaced repetition — all free