Chinese Character: 漏
1. Character Basics
Radical: 氵 (shuǐ, water radical)
Stroke Count: 14
Stroke Order:
2. Pronunciation
Pinyin: lòu (Fourth tone)
3. Meaning
To leak; to drip; to omit; to miss; to reveal; to let out; to leak out; to seep through
4. Common Words
- 漏水 (lòushuǐ) - to leak water
- 漏洞 (lòudòng) - loophole; flaw; leak
- 漏雨 (lòuyǔ) - to leak rainwater
- 漏税 (lòushuì) - tax evasion
- 漏接 (lòujiē) - to miss a call; to fail to meet
- 遗漏 (yílòu) - to omit; to leave out
- 泄漏 (xièlòu) - to leak; to reveal
- 漏风 (lòufēng) - to leak air; to let the cat out of the bag
5. Grammar & Usage
"漏" is primarily used as a verb meaning "to leak" or "to omit". It can function as a transitive verb, taking an object that is being leaked or omitted. It is often used in the structure "漏 + 名词" to indicate what is leaking or being omitted. It can also be used in the structure "漏 + 得 + 补语" to describe the result or extent of the leakage or omission.
6. Cultural Background
In traditional Chinese culture, the concept of "漏" (漏刻, lòukè) referred to a water clock used for timekeeping. This ancient time-measuring device consisted of a container with a small hole through which water dripped, indicating the passage of time. The character "漏" itself reflects this cultural heritage, with its water radical (氵) and the meaning related to dripping or leaking. Today, "漏" is commonly used in everyday language to describe various kinds of leaks, omissions, or failures to keep something contained.
7. Example Sentence
Chinese: 大雨过后，屋顶开始漏雨了。
Pinyin: Dàyǔ guòhòu, wūdǐng kāishǐ lòuyǔ le.
English: After the heavy rain, the roof started leaking.
8. Memory Tips
The character 漏 consists of 氵 (shuǐ, water) on the left and 屚 (lòu) on the right. The water radical reminds you that this character is related to water or liquid. You can imagine water dripping through a small hole, which helps associate the character with its meaning of "to leak" or "to drip". The right part "屚" provides the pronunciation.