Meaning of 露
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to show
- to reveal
- to betray
- to expose
- dew
- syrup
- nectar
- outdoors (not under cover)
- to show
- to reveal
- to betray
- to expose
- surname Lu
How to use 露
The lòu reading is used in everyday spoken words about showing something, like 露面 (lòumiàn, to show up) or 露馅儿 (lòuxiànr, to give the game away). The lù reading appears in more formal or written words such as 暴露 (bàolù), 揭露 (jiēlù), and 露天 (lùtiān). Example: 他很久没露面了。(Tā hěn jiǔ méi lòumiàn le.) He hasn't shown his face in a long time.
露 has 雨 (rain) on top and 路 (lù, road) below. Picture tiny drops like rain sitting on the road at dawn: that is dew, and anything left out on the road is exposed for all to see.
Common mistake: Learners often say lòu in formal compounds like 暴露 and 揭露, which should be lù. A rough guide is that lòu goes with colloquial, short phrases, and lù goes with formal words and the meaning dew. Also, do not confuse 露 with 路 (lù, road), which lacks the 雨 on top.
露 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.
露 lòu · to show · 21 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 露.
| 暴露 | bàolù | to expose; to reveal |
| 透露 | tòulù | to leak out; to divulge |
| 泄露 | xièlòu | to leak (information); to divulge; also pr. [xie4lu4] |
| 露面 | lòumiàn | to show one's face; to appear (in public) |
| 揭露 | jiēlù | to expose; to unmask |
| 露天 | lùtiān | outdoors; al fresco |
| 裸露 | luǒlù | naked; bare; uncovered; exposed |
| 披露 | pīlù | to reveal; to publish |
| 流露 | liúlù | to reveal (indirectly, implicitly); to show (interest, contempt etc) by means of one's act |
| 沐浴露 | mùyùlù | shower gel |
| 风餐露宿 | fēngcān-lùsù | lit. to eat in the open air and sleep outdoors (idiom); fig. to rough it |
| 露出 | lùchū | to expose; to show |
Questions about 露
What does 露 mean?
露 (lòu) means "to show; to reveal" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 露?
露 is made of 1 character: 露 (21 strokes). That is 21 strokes in total.
Is 露 an HSK word?
Yes. 露 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How do I say dew or morning dew in Chinese?
Use 露水 (lùshui) or 露珠 (lùzhū, a dewdrop), both read with lù. 露 by itself for dew is mostly literary.
What does 露 mean on drink or cosmetic labels?
Here it reads lù and means a syrup, essence, or lotion-like liquid. Examples are 花露水 (huālùshuǐ, floral toilet water) and 果子露 (guǒzilù, fruit syrup drink).