露一手 (lòu yī shǒu) — to show off one's skills; to demonstrate one's… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A colloquial idiom meaning to display one's skills, like 'show what you've got'. Often used to urge someone to perform or demonstrate their ability in a relaxed, playful context.

verb

to show off one's skillsto demonstrate one's talent

Examples

露一手，。
Gāi nǐ lòu yī shǒu le, bié jǐn zhāng.
It's your turn to show off your skills — don't be nervous.
，。
Tā zuó tiān zài miàn shì zhōng lù le yì shǒu, lǎo bǎn hěn mǎn yì.
She showed off her skills in the interview yesterday, and the boss was very pleased.
露一手，。
Tā měi cì biǎo yǎn dōu yào lòu yī shǒu, guān zhòng dōu hěn xǐ huan.
Every time he performs, he has to show off his skills, and the audience loves it.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

露lùshow/reveal

一手a skill

一yīone手shǒuhand/skill

偏正Modifier + head

露 means show, and 一手 means a skill, so together they mean to show off a bit of skill.

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.

雨路露

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

路

路lù露lù

Same sound today

露 pairs 雨, a rain-related meaning part, with 路, a sound part.

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

一 is drawn as one horizontal stroke, marking the number one.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

手 draws a five-fingered human hand: the top line is a bent middle finger, and the horizontal lines show the other four fingers.

Appears in

Idioms & Set Phrases

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