(bào) — to expose (bound form, used in compounds)

Definition

曝 (bào) is a bound form meaning 'to expose' (e.g. 曝光 overexposed, 曝露 exposed to). It is not used alone — always pair it with a complement like 光 or 露 to form common compounds.

bound form
to expose (bound form, used in compounds)

Examples

  • Zhè zhāng zhào piàn bào guāng guò dù le.
    This photo is overexposed.
  • Jì zhě bào chū le shì jiàn de zhēn xiàng.
    The journalist exposed the truth of the incident.
  • Cháng qī bào lù zài yáng guāng xià duì pí fū bù hǎo.
    Long-term exposure to sunlight is bad for the skin.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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
sun
Sound part声符shēngfú
bàobào
Same sound today

曝 adds 日 (sun) to 暴, which already stood for this word, to make the sun-related meaning clearer.

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