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宣泄 (xuān xiè) — to vent, to unburden (emotions); to drain (water); to divulge (a secret)

Definition

Literate/formal verb covering both senses: venting feelings (like 发泄 but more written) and letting liquid drain. For leaking a secret, prefer 泄露 or 透露.

verb
to ventto unburden (emotions)to drain (water)to divulge (a secret)

Examples

  • 宣泄。
    Tā dà shēng chàng gē lái xuān xiè nèi xīn de yā lì.
    He sings loudly to vent his inner stress.
  • 宣泄。
    Zhè gēn guǎn zi yòng lái xuān xiè yǔ shuǐ.
    This pipe is used to drain rainwater.
  • 宣泄。
    Tā bù xiǎo xīn xuān xiè le huì yì nèi róng.
    He inadvertently divulged the content of the meeting.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

宣xuānopen; drain
泄xièleak; drain

宣 (open/drain) and 泄 (leak/drain) combine to mean venting or draining.

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
宀宀miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
亘
亘gèn宣xuān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

宣 pairs the roof 宀, pointing to the emperor's main hall, with 亘 as the sound part. From that hall meaning, it came to mean clear or evident.

Open 宣 →

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.

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.

Open 泄 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Emotions & Feelings

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