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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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)
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