解密 (jiě mì) — to decipher; to decode; to declassify; to reveal (secrets)

Definition

Literally 'unlock + secret': to decipher, decode, or declassify information so hidden content becomes readable. Refers to actively breaking a code or revealing concealed data.

verb
to decipherto decodeto declassifyto reveal (secrets)

Examples

  • 解密。
    Zhè ge wén jiàn yǐ jīng bèi jiě mì le.
    This file has already been decrypted.
  • ，。
    Wǒ men jiě le yí cì mì, cái ná dào shù jù.
    We decrypted it once before getting the data.
  • 解密。
    Kē xué jiā yòng xīn fāng fǎ jiě mì le zhè fú huà zhōng de xìn xī.
    Scientists used a new method to decipher the information in this painting.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

解jiěsolve
密mìsecret

“解” (solve) acts on “密” (secret), giving the sense of decoding it.

Characters in this word

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

解 shows 刀 (knife) separating 角 (horn) from 牛 (cow), giving the picture of cutting up an ox.

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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
山山shānmountain
Sound part声符shēngfú
宓
宓mì密mì
Same sound today

密 pairs 山 (mountain) with 宓 (mì), which gives the pronunciation, to picture something hidden in the mountains, hence secret.

Open 密 →

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