漏 (lòu) - To leak, to seep & to divulge

漏Tone 4

lòu ｜ 14 strokes ｜ radical:

林伦

漏 · lòu

To leak, to seep;

to divulge;

to omit;

a water clock;

leakage.

To leak, to seepto divulgeto omit

Usage highlights

Water leakAir leakLeak electricityLeak informationMiss out/omitHourglass/water clock

Synonyms

  • 泄— to leak, to discharge
  • 渗— to seep, to ooze
  • 遗— to omit, to leave behind

Antonyms

  • 堵— to block, to stop up
  • 封— to seal, to close
  • 密— tight, secret

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The roof is leaking (屋顶漏了).
  • There was a leak of classified information (机密信息泄露).
  • I accidentally omitted a name from the list (名单上漏了一个名字).
  • The ancient water clock (漏刻) was used for timekeeping.

Collocations

  • Water leak(漏水)
  • Air leak(漏气)
  • Leak electricity(漏电)
  • Leak information(泄密)
  • Miss out/omit(遗漏)
  • Hourglass/water clock(漏壶/漏刻)

Idioms

  • Not a single drop leaks out(滴水不漏)
  • The net has large meshes, letting many fish escape(网漏吞舟)
  • Leaks come from tiny holes(漏卮难满)
  • Plugging one leak only to have another spring(补漏订讹)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • The character 漏 was historically used in 'water clock' (漏壶/漏刻), an important ancient timekeeping device.
  • In traditional Chinese thought, 'leakage' (漏) is often associated with loss of vital energy (元气) or resources.
  • The concept appears in various contexts from plumbing to information security, reflecting both practical and metaphorical significance.

FAQ