Meaning of 揭
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to take the lid off
- to expose
- to unmask
- surname Jie
How to use 揭
揭 (jiē) means to lift off, peel off, or uncover something. It is often used for exposing a secret or a truth, usually in compounds like 揭开 (jiēkāi) or 揭露 (jiēlù). Example: 他揭开了锅盖。(Tā jiēkāi le guōgài.) He lifted the lid off the pot.
揭 has the hand part 扌 on the left and 曷 (hé) on the right, which mostly gives the sound. Picture a hand reaching out to lift a lid and show what is underneath.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 揭 (jiē) with 喝 (hē, to drink) and 渴 (kě, thirsty), because all three share the right side 曷. Check the left part. The hand 扌 means lifting, the mouth 口 means drinking, and the water 氵 means thirst.
揭 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
揭 jiē · to take the lid off · 12 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 揭.
| 揭露 | jiēlù | to expose; to unmask |
| 揭发 | jiēfā | to expose; to bring to light |
| 揭晓 | jiēxiǎo | to announce publicly; to publish |
| 揭示 | jiēshì | to reveal; to elucidate; to set forth; to articulate; to announce publicly; to promulgate |
| 揭开 | jiēkāi | to uncover; to open |
| 揭穿 | jiēchuān | to expose; to uncover |
| 按揭 | ànjiē | a mortgage (loanword via Cantonese); to buy property on a mortgage |
Questions about 揭
What does 揭 mean?
揭 (jiē) means "to take the lid off; to expose" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 揭?
揭 is made of 1 character: 揭 (12 strokes). That is 12 strokes in total.
Is 揭 an HSK word?
Yes. 揭 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 揭露 and 揭晓?
揭露 (jiēlù) means to expose something hidden or wrong, such as corruption or a lie. 揭晓 (jiēxiǎo) is neutral and means to announce a result, such as exam scores or a prize winner.
Can 揭 be used for peeling something off a surface?
Yes. 揭 can describe peeling off a sticker, a bandage, or a poster from a wall, as in 把海报揭下来 (bǎ hǎibào jiē xiàlái), take the poster down. This literal sense is common in everyday speech.