外泄 (wài xiè) — to leak (information, secrets)

Definition

Specifically means secrets or confidential information leaking outward — most often in news, scandals, or security contexts.

verb

to leak (information, secrets)

外泄。
Gōng sī jī mì bèi wài xiè chū qù le.
The company's secrets were leaked.
外泄。
Zhè cì shì jiàn de xìn xī yǐ jīng wài xiè dào méi tǐ.
The information about this incident has leaked to the media.
外泄。
Zhèng fǔ zhèng zài diào chá shì shuí bǎ wén jiàn wài xiè chū qù.
The government is investigating who leaked the documents.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

外 points to outside and 泄 means to leak, so together they mean to leak outward.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

月

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

外 pairs 卜 with 月, a crescent moon; in its older form, the 卜 part had a horizontal bar extending outward, giving the sense of outside.

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 洩; 泄 is its simplified writing.

氵曳洩

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

曳

曳yè洩xiè

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 洩, 氵 marks the water-related meaning, while 曳 gives the sound; the simplified 泄 is a later abbreviation.

Appears in