道出 (dào chū) — to speak out, to tell (the truth, one's thoughts)

Definition

道出 is a more formal/literary verb meaning 'to speak out, to voice' (a truth, feeling, or thought) — stronger and more written than plain 说出. Often used for revealing something hidden or deeply felt.

verb
to speak outto tell (the truth, one's thoughts)

Examples

  • 道出。
    Tā zhōng yú dào chū le mái cáng duō nián de mì mì.
    He finally spoke out the secret that had been buried for years.
  • 道出。
    Zhè shǒu shī dào chū le shī rén duì gù xiāng de sī niàn.
    This poem tells the poet's longing for his hometown.
  • ，。
    Zài huì yì shàng, tā yǒng gǎn dì dào chū le zì jǐ de guān diǎn.
    At the meeting, he bravely spoke out his own viewpoint.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

道dàospeak
出chūout

道 speak and 出 out name speaking something out.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
行行xíngstreet
止止zhǐfoot
Sound part声符shēngfú
𩠐
首shǒu道dào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

Early 道 showed a street 行, a foot 止, and a part written 首 or 𩠐; the right part of 行 later disappeared.

Open 道 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

出 combines 止 (foot) and 凵 (cave) to show a foot stepping out of a cave.

Open 出 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.