漏电 (lòu diàn) — (of electricity) to leak, electrical leakage

Definition

Used when electricity escapes from a wire or appliance due to damaged insulation or a fault — a safety hazard, not a normal current flow. As a noun, the leak itself is often called 漏电 too.

verb
(of electricity) to leakelectrical leakage

Examples

  • 漏电，。
    Zhè tái jiù bīng xiāng lòu diàn le, hěn wēi xiǎn.
    This old refrigerator is leaking electricity — it's very dangerous.
  • ，。
    Wǒ jiā zuó tiān lòu le yí cì diàn, zhǎo diàn gōng lái xiū le.
    My house had an electrical leak yesterday, so I called an electrician to fix it.
  • ，漏电。
    Zhè ge chā zuò zhì liàng bù hǎo, róng yì lòu diàn.
    This socket is of poor quality and easily leaks electricity.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

漏lòuleak
电diànelectricity

Leak plus electricity describes current escaping.

Characters in this word

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

漏 combines 水 (water) and 屚 (to leak), showing water leaking.

Open 漏 →

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 電; 电 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
雨雨yǔrain
Sound part声符shēngfú
申
申shēn電diàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For the traditional form 電, 雨 (rain) sits with 申, read shēn and meaning lightning.

Open 电 →

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